Michelin-starred restaurants should be stripped of their awards if staff are bullied, the chefs' union is demanding amid allegations of abusive behaviour by chefs towards their colleagues in the industry.
Unichef last night said that allegations of bullying were too common and asked its members to sign a petition aimed at stripping Michelin stars and rosettes from chefs who abuse their kitchen colleagues.
Executive director Brian McElderry told the Times: 'The awarding of accreditations and/or sponsorship in a company's name can no longer be deemed acceptable where the suffering and abuse of employees is taken so lightly.'
The campaign has been backed by award-winning chef Asma Khan, the owner of Indian restaurant Darjeeling Express in London, who said she has been 'calling out the toxic culture in kitchens for years'.
In a social media post, she wrote: 'Break the silence - restaurant kitchens should not be a place of fear. A question for Michelin Guide UK: Do you have a code of conduct for a restaurant/chef you award a star to?'
It follows reports that chef Tom Kitchin allegedly presides over abusive behaviour towards his employees by senior staff, including sexual harassment and the denial of food and water during 18-hour shifts.
Tom Kitchin (pictured), who was made Scotland's youngest Michelin star winner in 2006, opened The Kitchin in Edinburgh
The campaign has been backed by award-winning chef Asma Khan, the owner of Indian restaurant Darjeeling Express in London, who said she has been 'calling out the toxic culture in kitchens for years'
The organisers of the campaign said in a statement: 'This appalling behaviour of systemic abuse, glorified by some so-called celebrity chefs and many others in the profession is vile and degrading and has no place in a modern working environment.
'They are fully and legally responsible for abusive behaviour in their premises, no matter how many stars or rosettes they have.
'It is now the time for global brands such
