This is Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia’s selfie with Michelin-star chef Jason Atherton published on Garcia’s Facebook post on Dec. 27, 2022. | Photo from Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia Facebook
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.
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