The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Exodus set to continue at pub taken over by ex-Lovat Hotel boss
Kitchen staff met at the weekend and agreed to walk out
Kitchen staff who led an exodus from a Perthshire pub in protest against its new boss have warned of more walkouts.
Employees at the Wheel Inn in Scone downed tools over the controversial appointment of ex-Lovat Hotel boss Stuart Shearer.
Four staff members, including the head chef, told Mr Shearer they were leaving when he arrived on his first morning on the job, leaving just one employee running the kitchen.
They say more staff are about to follow suit.
Meanwhile, customers are organising a boycott of the establishment. A Facebook page calling on people to avoid the pub and restaurant has received hundreds of followers within days.
It has been confirmed licensing bosses at Perth and Kinross Council will scrutinise Mr Shearer’s new job at a future meeting.
Mr Shearer, whose company SLE Enterprises collapsed owing thousands of pounds to disgruntled wedding couples and hotel guests, took up the reins at the Wheel Inn on Monday.
He will run it for new owners Caledonian Heritable, an Edinburghbased firm that operates about 300 pubs across the country.
Chef Mark Laing is one of a team of four who walked out, into jobs at the new Broxden Farm pub run by Greene King on Perth’s western edge.
He said: “We knew that we couldn’t stay and work for him.
“We met up at the weekend and agreed that we were going to leave. We agreed to tell him we were leaving as soon as he walked in on his first day. “He seemed quite shocked. “He said it was a shame that we weren’t going to be around to see the place go from strength to strength.
“We said we just couldn’t work with him after the way he had treated staff and customers at the Lovat.”
Mr Laing, who worked at the Wheel Inn for a year, said: “I know there are other staff who are ready to walk out.
“Some have been asking us to put in a word with Greene King.
“I don’t think anyone wants to work there any more.
“People are just disgusted with what happened at the Lovat.”
Mr Shearer has refused to respond to calls and emails from people left out of pocket.
The Courier revealed earlier this week that he called the police on a young couple who came to ask about their £2,000 deposit.
A council spokeswoman confirmed Mr Shearer’s appointment would be scrutinised by members of the licencing board.
“If the premises licence holder needs to seek a change of person as designated premises manager, they have six weeks to notify the licensing board via a minor variation application,” she said. “This application would be determined in accordance with licensing legislation.”
The Boycott the Wheel Inn Facebook page has received more than 400 likes.
A spokesman for the initiative posted: “I have not been directly affected by this man – however, I do know of a couple of people who have.
“They both said they wished they had somewhere to speak to other couples/ families involved in this scandal and warn others of Shearer.”
He added: “I think by the volume of people who have ‘liked’ and spoken out on this page already speaks volumes for what the people of Perth think.”