I rarely have opinions on anything other than the temperature of my beer, but as a seasoned chef I was glad last week to see the somewhat underground life of hospitality workers brought into the light: 197 companies were named and shamed by the government for failing to pay their workers the national minimum wage– and of all those companies the expensive London restaurant San Lorenzo, beloved of celebrities and sports people, owed the largest debts: almost £100,000 to 30 employees (all the companies that were named have now paid these back wages).
The current dispute over changes to payments for Deliveroo workers and the protests over Byron’s treatment of its staff have highlighted specific issues in the hospitality industry, and San Lorenzo shows these problems aren’t unique to the middle market. Princess Diana and Sophia Loren may have dined there, but this means very little back of house.
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