Dan Doherty leaves the Royal Oak and Rhubarb severs ties despite public apology over sexual harassment claims

Chef Dan Doherty has left The Royal Oak following allegations of sexual misconduct revealed by an external inquiry

The gastropub, founded and owned by the chef but run by Urban Inns limited shared the news on Twitter, stating it would be making ‘no further comment’ on the reported incidents.

The chef was banned from his Marylebone gastropub,The Royal Oak, for a month in November 2018 while an investigation took place.

We can confirm that Dan Doherty is no longer working at The Royal Oak with immediate effect.

We will not be making any further comment about the reported incidents.

Our focus is on the wellbeing of our team and business.
— The Royal Oak (@TheRoyalOak_W1) 28 January 2019

Earlier today, Dan Doherty took to Twitter to announce his departure from BBC programme ‘Britain’s Best Home Cook,’ the first series of which he starred on alongside Mary Berry and Claudia Winkleman, prompting a wave of outrage demanding that he apologise to the women involved in the allegations.

Any chance of an apology to the women involved?
— Grant Tucker (@GrantTucker) 28 January 2019

He then publicly apologised,

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conceding that he had indeed ‘made mistakes’ stating that although some mistruths were published, he was ‘truly sorry' for these.

The claims against the chef surfaced in a Sunday Times article yesterday, when an external inquiry by Yorkshire firm HR180 revealed that the chef was banned from his Marylebone gastropub, The Royal Oak, while an investigation took place to ascertain whether he had propositioned female staff, fostered a culture of harassment, and caused at least four staff members to resign from the restaurant.

The chef returned to the restaurant after the month-long inquiry but was reinstated as executive chef rather than head chef.

At the time, Urban Inns limited said it took the allegations ‘very seriously’ and that it had acted on the private firm’s recommendations in deciding to let the chef return to work.

Additionally, according to Big Hospitality, UK catering group, Rhubarb, to whom Dan provided consultancy services, has decided to discontinue its professional relationship with the chef following the allegations.

By Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox

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