Hideaway hotelier is tightlipped as workers walk out on his first day
Pub boss feels how it is to be left in the lurch
A HOTEL owner has refused to apologise to dozens of couples for ruining their wedding plans.
But Stuart Shearer got left in the lurch himself yesterday when all of the kitchen staff at his new venture walked out on him on his first day in charge.
The dad of one went into hiding after he shut Perth’s Lovat Hotel without any warning in January, leaving a trail of furious punters and 50 employees fearing for their jobs.
The Record tracked him down as he took over the reins of the Wheel Inn in nearby Scone.
Shearer remained tightlipped when we gave him the chance to explain himself and apologise to all the Lovat Hotel customers and staff he had let down.
But we watched as he was forced to return to his home in Stanley, Perthshire, to collect a set of chef ’s whites after his whole kitchen staff resigned.
The team, including a head chef, have accepted new positions in a Green King pub in Perth.
A Wheel Inn employee told how Shearer called a staff meeting soon after he arrived yesterday morning.
The insider said Shearer was stunned when he was told the workforce were leaving as one.
He added: “No one can believe
the absolute brass neck Shearer has. He waltzed in here like nothing at all had happened.
“It’s like he’s in denial that he’s done anything wrong, or owes anyone an apology or explanation about what happened at the Lovat.
“When we asked him where the money was and gave him a chance to explain what happened, he clammed up and had no answers.
“The chefs and kitchen team then said they were all leaving and he looked absolutely stunned.
“He had to go home to get his chef ’s whites so he could at least make lunch if there were any customers.
“There’s only one member of staff left and people aren’t exactly queueing outside the door to work here with him.”
Shearer’s company, SLE Enterprises, went into liquidation in February.
We revealed last week how employees at the Wheel Inn, a pub that specialises in catering for people with disabilities, received a letter from their original management company – Three Thistles – on Thursday to tell them that Shearer would take over the running of the pub.
The news came as a huge shock
to the staff, who knew of their new boss’ involvement with the Lovat.
In January, we revealed how devastated couples preparing to get married were left heartbroken after the hotel stopped trading.
The shock closure also threw plans for Burns suppers and a school reunion into disarray.
At the time, Shearer was accused by trade union bosses of “complete incompetence” for going into hiding after issuing letters to workers which said: “Any member of staff in possession of this letter has been made redundant with immediate effect.”
Dad Brian Gellatly, who paid the deposit for his daughter’s wedding at the Lovat just days before it closed, was furious when he heard about Shearer’s involvement with the Wheel Inn.
He said: “Shearer’s got some nerve reappearing like this.”
Brian told how he was contacted by the administrators, adding: “We haven’t had a penny repaid. I filled in a claims form and when the list of creditors came back there were more than 100 people on it – from breweries to the local council.”