BIARRITZ | A star chef at a luxury hotel in Biarritz, southwest France, has been fired after “a worrying incident,” the Hyatt group said on Thursday, as the press reported the filmed “humiliating inauguration” of a kitchen assistant.
The public prosecutor's office in the city near Bayonne, which has not yet received any complaints, told the AFP news agency that it had opened an investigation into sexual assault and violence.
According to the regional daily Sud Ouest, the departure of 31-year-old chef Aurélien Largeau took place on December 21st. The chef, who was hired in 2020, heads the gourmet restaurant of the five-star Hôtel du Palais, which has been awarded a Michelin star since last year.
According to Sud Ouest, the events occurred in the kitchen on the morning of December 2nd. For several hours, a young employee was said to have been tied naked to a chair, with an apple in his mouth and a carrot in his buttocks, in front of members of the brigade and in the presence of Aurélien Largeau. Images recorded and shared on social media have since been removed.
“The management of the Hôtel du Palais is aware of the worrying incident that occurred on the hotel premises and of the images that have been circulated,” a manager of the Hyatt group, which operates the establishment, told AFP. in the elegant coastal town of Biarritz.
“This incident does not reflect the values we defend. An investigation has been conducted and the appropriate decisions have been made.” “The safety, health and well-being of our colleagues, customers and partners is our top priority,” she added, without further comment.
Contacted, the City of Biarritz, the main shareholder of the mixed-business company that owns the walls of the palace and whose human resources management is delegated to the Hyatt group, did not want to comment on the matter.