Some said that it wasn’t Straker’s fault that the fine dining industry was dominated by men. The social media sensation, who honed his cooking skills at the Dorchester and the west London restaurant Casa Cruz, wasn’t completely without supporters, however. clearly it doesn’t seem important to the values of him and his restaurant.”Īngela Hui, a food writer and author, commented: “Straker is such a big personality and has such a big online following, he has a responsibility to make sure he is making diverse hires. “The fact that he has no people of colour or women on the team is a huge extension of the bigger cultural problem. Nat Middleton, a chef who works at Food Behind Bars, a charity in London, said that he found the response from the TikTok star “really disappointing”, adding: “I wouldn’t encourage anyone I know to apply to work with you as it seems pretty clear you’re not keen on nurturing new talent.”īaker Melissa Martin said: “I don’t begrudge him for the staff he hired - you hire friends, good people you know, and impressive resumés - but I think this post is a blatant example of how fine dining is still a white boys’ club. Solutions not problems.”īacklash also came from within the industry, to both the image and then to Straker’s response. Secondly if you feel so passionately please go and gather CV's of any chefs you think we're missing in the team. “Firstly there is a shortage of chefs / hospitality workers. “On the day of the interview they told me to come and I travelled an hour and a half to get there for the second round and then it turns out they were doing an event on the other side of London and didn’t even apologise or anything of the sort.”Īs the negative comments continued, Straker responded saying “Honestly people need to calm down.

Just something to think about.'Īnother comment under the post from alleged that the restaurant’s recruitment process was poor: “I legit went for an interview there and on the second round they ghosted me! In turn, you'd be putting something into the very community that you're gentrifying - intentional or not. 'Provide them with training and a safe place to grow as chefs. How incredible would it be if you searched that community for young rising stars who may not get a chance to flourish otherwise in hospitality than hiring friends? 'It became home to the largest Moroccan population in England and the home of Windrush families. 'Golborne Road is historically a black/Moroccan/Spanish/ Portuguese community with an incredible history of culture and rebellion in the face of adversity. Some also added that the picture was especially out of place at Straker’s restaurant, which is located in the diverse area of Golborne Road.Īn Instagram user commented on the post: “The main issue is that in the most diverse city in the world, in the poorest part of the richest borough of the country, not only have you managed to hire any female chefs but not a single POC. There have also been separate concerns over the cost of hosting the event in one of Western Europe's poorest nations.Critics said that the line-up was “disappointing” and proved that fine dining was “still a white boys’ club”. Francis is expected to meet privately with abuse victims.Īustralian pilgrim Andrew De Santos, 35, who had come to Lisbon all the way from Melbourne, said the sex abuse scandal in Portugal and elsewhere was 'very disappointing,' expressing hope that the next generation would be able to move on from 'errors' of the past.

At least 4,815 people were abused, largely by priests, over the past 70 years, a commission investigating the issue said in February. The celebrations will take place against the backdrop of a sexual abuse scandal in the Portuguese Church. The festival, which runs for nearly a week, is held every two to three years and was begun by the late Pope John Paul II in 1985. Pilgrims were given hats and reusable water bottles to help cope with the heat. The event is taking place at the peak of the summer, with temperatures forecast to hit around 30 degrees Celsius (86☏). Huge stages have been set up at different locations, screens installed, and posters with the pope's face plastered across the city.įrancis, 86, is making his first trip abroad since having intestinal surgery in June and uses a wheelchair and cane.

They have been arriving over the last few days and are staying in schools, gyms, fire stations and with families, with many planning to sleep in the open before the closing Mass on the riverside Parque Tejo on Aug. Over 350,000 pilgrims have registered to attend but Portuguese authorities say more than 1 million are expected.

Kicks on fire ig