Mauling of Michelin star chef in Cebu and who you know

[Jollygoodfellow]

According to some reports the guys were harassing his 17 year old daughter. Asking her to have sex in the toilet. Nothing appears to be handled well including the statement put out from the bar on Facebook. A new statement was posted an hour or so ago. 

https://www.facebook.com/fcafeandbar

 

Cebu City asks police to probe mauling involving Michelin-star British chef in restobar

 

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Local officials here want the police to shed light on a mauling in Brgy. Kasambagan last December 23, involving a Michelin-star chef. The mauling surfaced after Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia came to the chef’s defense.

Governor Garcia took to social media on Tuesday, Dec. 27 to express her frustration towards the management of F Bar and Cafe when several of its personnel allegedly participated in a fight involving British chef Jason Atherton. 

“This gracious, gifted man certainly did not deserve the shameful treatment he got, right here, in Cebu,” said Garcia. 

The governor also shared a selfie with the celebrity chef, showing the visible bruises he sustained during the fistfight around his eyes. 

CDN Digital also reached out to the management of F Cafe and Bar for their comments. A representative responded to CDN Digital through instant messaging that they would issue an official statement on the matter soon.

 

(Around 6 p.m. on December 28, F Cafe and Bar released their official statement. They denied the allegations hurled against their staff, including their manager. See their full statement in this link, and the full story in this other link)

CDN Digital also learned from the Mabolo Police Station that a mauling happened in a popular restobar in Brgy. Kasambagan on the evening of Dec. 23.

The police said the two parties eventually agreed to settle amicably when they were brought to the station. 

While they confirmed the incident took place, the police begged off to provide the identities of all parties involved, adding that the individuals refused to put their names on record. 

As of Dec. 28, no formal complaints have been filed before the police. 

Meanwhile, Cebu City Vice Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia wanted the police to conduct an investigation on the matter.

During the City Council’s regular session on Wednesday, Dec. 28, Vice Mayor Garcia, in a privilege speech, requested the Philippine National Police to shed light on the incident.

“This is disturbing and it concerns not only the province of Cebu, but, most especially, the City of Cebu since it’s in our jurisdiction. This representation feels that something has to be done about it not only as a public official but also as a father who also has a daughter,” he said.

What happened
According to Governor Garcia’s post, Atherton asked a group of men to apologize to him when he learned that they had harassed his daughter. 

But the argument apparently escalated into a fistfight. 

Garcia added that Atherton accused the men of harassing his 17-year-old daughter. 

Some guests who witnessed the fight managed to record snippets of the incident that took place in the restobar. 

Since the governor published her post on Facebook, the videos went viral on social media quickly. Some of the videos showed Atherton, before the fight occurred, reprimanding a group of men why they shouldn’t harass a minor. 

Other videos showed the restobar’s security trying to break up the fight. 

Garcia’s post claimed that some of the restobar’s bouncers also allegedly participated in the fight, in particular — in mauling Atherton.

She also said that one of the managers allegedly joined in the melee by allegedly giving a bottle to hit the British chef while at the same time, she was allegedly ‘condemning him and all foreigners as troublemakers.’ 

“Tonight (Dec. 27), I told him, “I’m so sorry for what happened to you, Jason.  I hope this will not change your fondness for Cebu. Nor keep you from coming back to Cebu,” Garcia added.

Who is Jason Atherton?
Atherton is a renowned international chef. He has a Michelin star, regarded as one of the biggest achievements in the culinary industry. 

He has worked with some of the world’s top chefs including Gordon Ramsay. Atherton served as Ramsay’s Executive Chef for his Michelin-starred Maze in London until 2010. 

A year later, he opened his own restaurant called Pollen Street Social, which also received a Michelin star.

Born in Nottinghamshire, England, Atherton married a Cebuana. The two had three daughters. 

Garcia also revealed in her post that Atherton is a business partner for Pig and Palm, a high-end, gastropub located in Cebu’s business district. 

Atherton’s high profile career as a chef also led him to publish several cookbooks, and star in various cooking shows including MasterChef World and MasterChef Australia.

https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/482094/cebu-city-asks-police-to-probe-mauling-involving-michelin-star-british-chef-in-restobar

[Kingpin]

6 hours ago, Jollygoodfellow said:

Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia came to the chef’s defense.

I see bankruptcy in the bar's future, or worse...

Quote

 

Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia announced on Thursday, December 29 that they have asked the NBI-7 to shed light on the mauling in a restobar in Barangay Kasambagan, Cebu City of British chef Jason Atherton.

In particular, Garcia requested the national government’s investigating body to check and verify reports that F Cafe and Bar allegedly distributed edited and spliced videos to support their claims regarding the incident.

“I don’t know what they might do with the footages if you don’t step in. You have the capacity to see if there has been editing done and you also have the authority to issue a subpoena duces tecum,” Garcia said during a press conference broadcasted through Sugbo News, the Capitol’s media outlet. https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/482332/nbi-7-steps-in-mauling-incident-involving-international-chef

 

 

 

Edited December 29, 2022 by Kingpin

[Joey G]

Trying to remember what happened last time I took my 17 year old daughter into a bar at 1:30 a.m. ....  anywhere in the world.  

[Dave Hounddriver]

6 minutes ago, Joey G said:

Trying to remember what happened last time I took my 17 year old daughter into a bar at 1:30 a.m. ....  anywhere in the world.  

Well of course its the victim's fault.  Her family shouldn't have been in this country.

Here's the other side of the story with some pics and vid: 
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11582127/Celebrity-chef-Jason-Atherton-takes-thugs-Philippines-bar-harassed-daughter.html

A British Michelin-starred celebrity chef was attacked after allegedly defending his teenage daughter from thugs in a bar in the Philippines.

Jason Atherton, 51, was dining at the F Cafe and Bar in Cebu province with his family when his 17-year-old daughter complained that a group of men harassed her outside the restroom.

The award-winning chef, from Worksop, Nottinghamshire, reportedly confronted them and asked them to apologise. 

But the confrontation quickly turned violent and a mass brawl ensued, while shocking footage showed fists flying and bargoers being stomped on the ground

In grainy mobile phone footage, Atherton can be seen wearing a white shirt, first arguing with people outside the bar and then caught up in a fistfight.

He was pictured at one of his restaurants in the Philippines the next day sporting two black eyes and bruising around his nose.

In a video taken by an onlooker, Atherton can be heard saying: 'I want an apology…. If you could have sex with her in the toilet. She's 17, she's 17-years-old.'

Cebu governor Gwendolyn Garcia slammed the bar, claiming: 'they all ganged up on Jason, including F Bar's people'.

The politician added: 'Worse, F Bar's bouncers held him down so Jason couldn't fight back.

'The lady manager joined in the melee, even providing a bottle to beat him further, the whole time condemning him and all foreigners as troublemakers.' 

Atherton, whose wife is from the Philippines, met with Governor Gwendolyn who snapped a selfie showing his injuries which included a pair of black eyes.

The governor added that the 'internationally acclaimed English chef' did not deserve the treatment.

She said: 'These guys were harassing Jason's daughter, while she was waiting in line for the restroom. Jason asked them to apologise, as any father who loves his daughter would.

'Tonight, I told Jason, ''I'm so sorry for what happened to you, Jason. I hope this will not change your fondness for Cebu.

'He answered, ''Oh no! It could have happened anywhere in the world. In London or any other place''.

'This gracious, gifted man certainly did not deserve the shameful treatment he received.'

Atherton sharpened his culinary skills under the tutelage of Gordon Ramsay from 2001-2010, before striking out on his own.

He launched his own venture called 'The Social Company' and has since cultivated a restaurant empire with establishments in London, New York, Dubai, Shanghai and The Philippines, with several of the restaurants earning Michelin stars.

Following condemnation from Governor Garcia, the bar released a statement claiming their CCTV footage 'showed it was Chef Atherton who initiated the attack against the other group'. 

The statement said: 'Security personnel noticed a commotion inside coming from certain customers that included Mr Atherton. A melee ensued and the natural reaction of security was to go between the parties to ensure that nobody got hurt and to pacify them.

'The manager, who just had an eye operation, also went to ensure that security was on top of the situation. CCTV footage showed that it was Mr Atherton who initiated the attack against the other group.

'Everything happened so fast but fortunately the people were eventually pacified. We were then informed that they went to the police and the district officials and settled everything among themselves. We were informed that the matter was closed.

'While we try to ensure that everybody feels good in our establishments, we have no control over the actions of others. We deeply regret what happened to Mr Atherton and the other parties involved in the fracas.'

Cebu City Vice Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia said in a speech on December 28: 'This is disturbing, and it concerns not only the province of Cebu but most especially, the City of Cebu since it's in our jurisdiction.

'This representation feels that something has to be done about it not only as a public official but also as a father who also has a daughter.'

No formal complaints have reportedly been filed to police.

[scott h]

1 hour ago, Joey G said:

Trying to remember what happened last time I took my 17 year old daughter into a bar at 1:30 a.m. ....  anywhere in the world.

Well said!!!!

I am also willing to bet that if any forum member has been involved (non celebrities) we would still be in jail pending black listing on the insistence of the mayor

[Jollygoodfellow]

Quote

Atherton had gone to Mabolo Police Station on Wednesday morning, Dec. 28, together with his business partner to pursue the filing of a frustrated homicide case based on the advice of his lawyer as one of the perpetrators was holding a bottle.

Apart from frustrated homicide, Atherton will also file child abuse charges against some of the restobar’s personnel as his daughter, who is a minor, was allegedly harassed prior to the commotion.

https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1949672/cebu/local-news/nbi-7-starts-probe-on-chefs-mauling

Only gets worse. If I was him I would let it go and slip away quietly. He now makes himself and his business a target. I think if Gov Gwen did not get involved this would be over by now.

[Jollygoodfellow]

6 hours ago, Kingpin said:

I see bankruptcy in the bar's future, or worse..

They have two bars at that site, one is like an outdoor bar which sits between two stip shops at the entrance to the complex. I have been there a couple of times and met the lady manager who was a friend of the owner. The manager lived several years in Australia or USA, cant remember. Don't know if same person from this story.

The other bar is in the same complex with the same name, more like a nightclub I think but never been in.

[Jollygoodfellow]

3 hours ago, Joey G said:

Trying to remember what happened last time I took my 17 year old daughter into a bar at 1:30 a.m. ....  anywhere in the world.  

I believe you your titled expanded to Grandpa. 

[Kingpin]

2 hours ago, Jollygoodfellow said:

They have two bars at that site

Soon to be one bar at that site...

Quote

 

LOCAL police in Cebu City are set to meet with the owners and managers of F. Café and Bar in Barangay Kasambagan on Friday afternoon, December 30, 2022, in order to shed light on the alleged violent incident that erupted in their establishment on December 23, 2022 in which a British chef was reportedly mauled.

Officials of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) said they want to know from the restobar's owners concerning their side on what happened on December 23.

On December 28, Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia slammed the restobar's operators and personnel on her social media page after they allegedly mauled British chef and restaurateur Jason Atherton on the evening of December 23.

According to Garcia, some of the workers of the restobar allegedly held Atherton so he “couldn’t fight back,” and mauled him by another group of men, identified as personnel of the bar.

Atherton went to Mabolo Police Station on Wednesday morning, December 28, together with his business partner to pursue the filing of frustrated homicide case based on the advice of his lawyer as one of the perpetrators was holding a bottle.

Col. Erano Regidor, the chief of the Mabolo Police Station 4 in Cebu City, confirmed the matter to reporters on Thursday, December 29.

Regidor also welcomed the restobar's management to visit their office so that they can also secure affidavits from their end.

Apart from frustrated homicide, Atherton will also file child abuse charges against some of the restobar's personnel his daughter, who is a minor, was allegedly harassed prior to the commotion.

Regidor said they are also waiting for the restobar to provide a CCTV footage, aside from the video of the commotion posted on social media, which they will use as evidence  - https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1949631/cebu/local-news/ccpo-to-summon-owners-personnel-of-kasambagan-restobar-to-shed-light-on-mauling-of-british-chef

 

 

[Gator]

Regidor said they are also waiting for the restobar to provide a CCTV footage
 

Anywhere else and the police would have already seized the CCTV footage as it’s likely the most reliable source. Wonder if it’ll now suddenly disappear. Battle of who’s got more money and influence now.