Rachel’s restaurant workers issue legal letter after 22 are ‘temporarily laid off’
TWENTY-TWO STAFF at celebrity chef Rachel Allen’s embattled Cork restaurant have sent her a legal letter after they were ‘temporarily laid off’ last month.
The correspondence seen by the Irish Mail on Sunday addressed to Moscato Limited [the firm that owns the restaurant], sets out in detail the grievances by workers who are fearful their jobs are in jeopardy.
The chef opened Rachel’s in March last year as part of a business venture with her husband Isaac and publican Paul Montgomery.
But when contacted yesterday Mr Montgomery claimed he had sold the restaurant and it was now under new ownership.
‘I no longer own the restaurant, it has been purchased,’ he said. ‘But I can tell you for certain that it is reopening in October; absolutely.
‘I sold it a number of weeks ago; I don’t know the exact date.
‘A number of investors have bought the restaurant. Everybody was met by the management team and they were all told that it was reopening and there was temporary lay-offs. As far as I am concerned it was all dealt with.’ Mr Montgomery added he was not aware of the legal letter and insisted the matter was out of his hands, despite company documents stilll listing him as the 100% shareholder of Moscato Ltd.
Rachel Allen, whose name is above the door, didn’t respond to detailed questions regarding the letter and the fears of the staff.
The letter states staff were ‘not furnished with copies of their contracts’, were ‘extremely dissatisfied in the manner in which they are being treated’ and only received ‘two days’ notice’ of temporary lay-offs.