Trendy Notting Hill restaurant boss Thomas Straker sparks diversity row by sharing Instagram photo of his all-white all-male team of chefs – as he’s blasted on social media for ‘totally unrepresentative’ line-up

/ Mike Buchanan
Our thanks to Nigel for this. He writes:
Well, here’s an example of a grueling job done in hot and dangerous enviroment with very “unsocial” hours. Leaving aside the obvious point that here in my multi-cultural multi-ethnic city, Manchester, Chinese restaurants are staffed by Chinese, Bangladeshi by Bangladeshis and on and on to a Mongolian eatery. Having dealt with the race issue there is the man thing. Because whatever the race the kitchens are literally “manned”. Yet another area where it appears “white men” just fine  if they keep themselves hidden “below stairs” doing the hard work, but heaven forfend they should step into the light to take a bow, without the odd token  woman on show who does the lunch shift. Yet another story where probably none of the critics would get their hands dirty doing the job themselves. What a crime being proud of the workers in your business.
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One thought on “Trendy Notting Hill restaurant boss Thomas Straker sparks diversity row by sharing Instagram photo of his all-white all-male team of chefs – as he’s blasted on social media for ‘totally unrepresentative’ line-up”

  1. One of my oldest friends went from “domestic science” to catering and thence to catering college. Working in the kitchens of restaurants, specially those using fresh ingredients, is absolutely nothing like “bake off” or the cookery on TV. There are long hours, getting to markets early in the morning or receiving deliveries to clearing up the kitchens after the guests have gone. Often with “split shifts” to accomadate the ups and downs of when people want to eat (lunch or dinner or supper( for you southerners). Recipes have to be carefully thought out with the practilites of cost, limiting waste and cooking and assembly in the kitchen. Along the way there are heavy items delivered such as oil, potatoes, rice etc. It is a tough life and I’m sure the shifts etc. Played a part in my friends untimely death at 51. It was actually nice to see this celebrity chef want to let his team take a bow and heartbreaking to see this completely overshadowed by nonsense about “diversty”.

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