Neil Perry slams ‘hollow’ celebrity chefs who don’t ‘stand for anything’
Australian cook and restauranteur Neil Perry has slammed the idea of a ‘celebrity chef’ and admitted he gets ‘disappointed’ in some of his famous colleagues who fail to use their platform.
Neil, 64, who is behind the swanky eatery, Margaret in Sydney‘s Double Bay and Rockpool in the CBD, appeared on Gus Worland’s podcast Not an Overnight Success this week.
Neil, who last year admitted he was struggling keeping his Margaret restaurant afloat during Sydney’s ongoing Covid-19 lockdown and called for a vaccine mandate, called some celebrity chefs ‘quite hollow’.
Speaking out: Restauranteur Neil Perry has slammed celebrity chefs on a new podcast and said they’re ‘quite hollow’ for not ‘standing for anything’ – after he copped backlash for calling for a vaccine mandate in NSW
‘So I often get really disappointed that people don’t use that power that they do have to get the Government to think about things, because they do listen to people like us,’ Neil said.
‘I do get disappointed that some celebrity chefs are quite hollow and they don’t really stand for anything.’
‘I’m often very disappointed with a lot of my colleagues and peers who, in times that it’s important to say something, don’t.’
‘So I often get really disappointed that people don’t use that power that they do have to get the Government to think about things, because they do listen to people like us,’ Neil said
In September last year, Neil hit back at anti-vaxxer trolls by calling for a new public health order to ensure only fully-vaccinated patrons could visit his restaurant.
He said the temporary health order – which would ask patrons to provide proof of two jabs with a vaccine passport – would protect businesses and the community.
Speaking to Gus this week, Neil reflected on how he ruffled feathers at the time after speaking out about the temporary mandate in Sydney.
‘I don’t know whether they’re [other chefs] afraid that if they speak up and ask the government to do the right thing, that they’ll have a black mark put against them, or if they say something that might alienate one of their customers,’ Neil said.
‘When I’m talking about clarity around the health orders when we opened up – and talking about vaccines versus anti vaccines, I felt I had to say from a restaurateur’s point of view to the government we need real clarity around this,’ he said.
Ruffling feathers: In September last year, Neil hit back at anti-vaxxer trolls by calling for a new public health order to ensure only fully-vaccinated patrons could visit his restaurant. He said the temporary health order – which would ask patrons to provide proof of two jabs with a vaccine passport – would protect businesses and the community
‘And we have to be backed by a health order, because otherwise you’re asking us to be the police and its going to be impossible,’ he explained.
Neil also said that he refuses to call himself a ‘celebrity chef’ despite being a high-profile cook and restaurateur.
‘If someone says I’m a celebrity chef, I say I work for a living, so not really!’ he said with a laugh.
Last year, as Sydney was about to reopen after lockdown, conspiracy theorists slammed celebrity chef Matt Moran and a range of other leading hospitality figures after he stated his ritzy Aria restaurant in Sydney would only serve double-dosed customers.
The spiteful backlash left many in the industry fearing for their safety and worried their restaurants could become the targets of fake bad reviews as has been seen in other nations in the wake of the pandemic.
Last year, as Sydney was about to reopen after lockdown, conspiracy theorists slammed celebrity chef Matt Moran and a range of other leading hospitality figures after he stated his ritzy Aria restaurant in Sydney would only serve double-dosed customers
Josephine Perry, the daughter of Neil, tried to calm the situation by outlining that the provision was handed down by the state government, not restaurants.
‘Every single restaurant in Sydney who plans to open their doors next month will have to announce the same policy as it will be the law,’ she said in a social media post at the time.
‘You are scaring me, you are scaring my staff, and you’re scaring my friends in the industry to reopen our doors and have to deal with you while all we’re doing is what the government will enforce us to do.’
Restrictions ended late last year and now patrons, vaccinated or not, can dine at eateries and restaurants across NSW.
Meanwhile in August last year, Neil told The Sydney Morning Herald’s Private Sydney that he was flipping 200 burgers a day and has been forced to mortgage his house to keep his restaurant empire afloat amid Sydney’s ongoing Covid-19 lockdown.
‘I’ve mortgaged the house on this, though the bank has been pretty good… so far,’ he told the publication at the time.
‘I had some pretty dark moments in the first few weeks but at least this way, we’ve got the team together, the music is playing and there is a sense we are moving… I’m just not sure where to though.’
Neil owns a number of well-known restaurants across Australia including Rockpool, The Argyle, El Camino Cantina and The Burger Project.
Drastic measures: Meanwhile in August last year, Neil told The Sydney Morning Herald’s Private Sydney that he was flipping 200 burgers a day and has been forced to mortgage his house to keep his restaurant empire afloat amid Sydney’s ongoing Covid-19 lockdown
Source: | Dailymail.co.uk