In a French luxury hotel, an employee was humiliated for hours in front of colleagues during the ‘intake ritual’. Top chef Aurélien Largeau has now lost his job.
He received a coveted Michelin star and ran the restaurant of the renowned Hôtel du Palais in Biarritz, France. Last week, Aurélien Largeau surprisingly threw down the wooden spoon – but apparently not voluntarily.
As a spokeswoman for the Hyatt hotel chain explained, management had been notified of a “disturbing incident,” video footage of which had even been shared on the Internet. As part of an ‘initiation ritual’ in the hotel kitchen, an employee was tied to an armchair completely naked for hours – with an apple in his mouth, among other things. All the chefs were watching, including 31-year-old Largeau.
“The incident does not reflect the values we uphold,” the Hyatt spokeswoman said. “Appropriate decisions have been made.” The Hôtel du Palais on Biarritz’s boulevard has five stars and costs an average of more than 400 euros per night.
Despite the ban, humiliating rituals are commonplace
These types of hazing initiation rituals are prohibited by law in France. However, they are still practiced – as a ‘test’ to see if young talent can handle the pressure of the job. Cooking professionals repeatedly launch campaigns against violence in the kitchen. They have titles like “Hands Off My Kitchen Hand” or “Respect Your Kitchen.”
Source: Krone
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