A Michelin-starred French chef has quit his job at a luxury hotel in the elegant seaside resort town of Biarritz, after a kitchen staff member was allegedly tied up in the nude — with an apple stuffed in his mouth and a carrot up his anus as part of a ban on hazing.
Aurélien Largeau, 31, left his post at the famed Hotel du Palais restaurant on December 21, hotel management confirmed.
A prosecutor has launched an investigation into allegations of sexual assault and violence, although no formal complaint has been filed by the alleged victim.
The story of the suspected hazing was first revealed this week by local French-language newspaper Sud-Ouest, which reported that on the morning of December 2, a young kitchen assistant was tied naked to a chair with fruit and vegetables stored. in the holes.
The worker was said to have been left in this humiliating condition for hours in full view of the other 30-person kitchen crew, led by Chef Largeau.
Chef Aurélien Largeau, 31, has denied any wrongdoing after quitting his job at the Michelin-starred restaurant. La Table d’Aurelien Largeau
The alleged kitchen initiation rite, dubbed “bizutage” and officially banned in France, was captured on video and later shared on social media, before being removed, the outlet reported.
Largeau, hailed as a gastronomist, has denied the hazing allegations as “false and defamatory.”
His lawyer, Alexandra Sabbe-Ferri, told outlet BFMTV that what actually happened in the kitchen was a “prank” organized by the alleged victim himself as part of his party before he left to take up a new job in Paris.
“Nothing was imposed on him,” the lawyer claimed, describing the incident as a “good” moment.
The Hyatt Group, which runs the prestigious hotel, has confirmed to the media that Largeau is leaving after a “concerning incident on the hotel premises” which a spokesman said involved “allegations and imagery” that sparked an internal investigation.
Largeau has worked for three years at the Hotel du Palais in the seaside town of Biarritz, France. Universal Pictures Group via Getty Images A young kitchen worker at the restaurant was allegedly tied up naked with an apple in her mouth and a carrot up her anus. AFP via Getty Images
“This incident does not reflect the values we stand for. An investigation has been conducted and appropriate decisions have been taken,” Hyatt said in a statement. “The safety, health and well-being of our colleagues, our customers and our partners is our absolute priority.”
The Post on Friday reached out to the Hyatt Group for further comment.
Largeau was hired in 2020 as chef at the five-star hotel, with an average room cost of $445 a night, and in 2022 the restaurant under his leadership won the coveted Michelin star.
In a statement to France Blue radio, the now unemployed chef wrote in part: “I would like to officially deny the allegations made by some media against me, and state that the facts reported do not at all reflect reality.”
A room at a luxury beachfront hotel costs an average of $445 per night. AFP via Getty Images
He slammed the hazing allegations as “an attack on my honor, false reporting and defamation.”
“I would never associate myself with such behavior,” Largeau added.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
