‘I hope you learn’: Two brave women go public with claims against Swillhouse
By Eryk Bagshaw and Bianca Hrovat
Warning: Graphic content
They’re the two talented, brave women from the hospitality industry who have decided to go public with their claims against their former employer Swillhouse.
Rachelle “Rocky” Hair was the first woman employed as a bartender at Swillhouse venues Frankie’s Pizza, Shady Pines and The Baxter Inn, and Jenna Hemsworth was the 2018 Australian Bartender of the Year.
Rachelle “Rocky” Hair at Swillhouse venue The Baxter Inn.
Each now alleges they were sexually assaulted while working at Swillhouse and has accused the company of failing its employees as the NSW government investigates the company, which runs six of Sydney’s best-known venues.
Their public stance comes as SafeWork NSW launched a probe into Swillhouse’s operations following days of reporting by The Sydney Morning Herald and Good Food revealing claims Swillhouse pushed female staff out of the company after they reported sexual assaults, encouraged staff to have sex with customers and take drugs while working, and discriminated against women as the company expanded from Shady Pines off Oxford Street to Le Foote in The Rocks.
After being infuriated by the company’s response to the claims, the two women have now come forward to put their names behind the allegations made by five female bartenders in this masthead. Swillhouse has denied it discriminated against women who raised sexual assault and harassment allegations.
Rachelle “Rocky” Hair has spoken out against Swillhouse.
Hair said she was assaulted by a fellow staff member while working at Shady Pines after being pressured to take MDMA and later filed a report with the NSW Police.
“As the first female staff member across many of the venues, I was essentially the canary in the coal mine,” Hair said. “If [Swillhouse] had learnt and changed ten years ago and the assaults and harassment had stopped with me, I would have let this go.”
But she said the company has failed to change its culture or acknowledge the harm caused, giving her “no choice but to personally do my part for the younger people that have been exposed to this since”.
“While we cannot right the wrongs of the past, we acknowledge them and apologise for any hurt caused,” the company said in a statement posted on Instagram on Thursday night.
Hair, a career bartender who was also the first woman to win the Hot Talent Award at the 2016 Time Out Bar Awards, said the Swillhouse apology was not enough.
“Insincere Instagram apologies mean nothing,” she said. “Swillhouse have had the better part of a decade to take action and protect the people that work for them.”
Jenna Hemsworth is speaking up about her time working for Swillhouse.Credit: Christopher Pearce
“These incidents are still occurring,” she alleged. “I find nothing ‘juvenile’ or ‘regrettable’ about it.”
Jenna Hemsworth told this masthead on Friday she was now also willing to be identified. She issued a statement saying she had been sexually assaulted while working at Swillhouse.
Hemsworth said she was told she was a “square peg in a round hole” after she reported the alleged assault to the company.
The company said it handled sexual assault allegations with the highest level of urgency and care, but Hemsworth and Hair said that was not their experience.
Le Foote during lunch service on Thursday.Credit: Dion Georgopoulos
“I stand by what I said in this article,” Hemsworth said, referring to this masthead’s investigation.
“My choice to remain anonymous until now has been to place the onus on the culture that allowed this to happen – not on me as a victim.
“I can sleep well at night knowing I’ve done all I can to make this industry a little bit safer than it was when I entered it. Can you [Swillhouse]? I hope you learn. And I hope you grow. And I hope to God this signals the beginning of the end of this cycle of abuse.”
Another bartender, who asked not to be identified, accused the company of abandoning her after she claimed she was brutally assaulted by a co-worker at home.
One victim provided photos showing the injuries she says she sustained after an alleged assault by another Swillhouse employee.
The bartender shared photos of bruising across her eyes and cuts down to her jaw following the incident, which she says she reported to Swillhouse management, only for her complaints to be ignored.
Allegations ‘concerning’
SafeWork NSW confirmed on Thursday it had launched inquiries into Swillhouse’s operations. The government agency is responsible for ensuring workplaces are meeting their duties on workplace sexual harassment and alcohol and drug use in the workplace. Staff can report workplace sexual assault to SafeWork NSW as well as NSW Police.
“The allegations of serious work health and safety issues highlighted in recent media reports relating to Swillhouse Group are concerning,” a SafeWork NSW spokesman said.
“SafeWork NSW is making inquiries into the allegations raised in these media reports.”
Allegations of sexual harassment and assault within Swillhouse venues have had far-reaching impacts on the industry. Swillhouse chief executive Anton Forte stepped down from the board of the Australian Restaurant and Cafe Association on Wednesday.
The hospitality group also cancelled its first festival, Swillfest, on Thursday after partners, musicians and sponsors pulled out of the September event in The Rocks.
Swillhouse and its six venues have been removed from the list of finalists vying for an Australian Bartender Bar Award. The prestigious industry awards night, now in its 23rd year, is scheduled for September 11, during Sydney Bar Week.
In a statement on Thursday night, Australian Bartender co-owners David and Amy Spanton said they had consulted Swillhouse before making the call.
“We reserve the right to remove finalists from the list if they threaten to jeopardise the integrity of the awards, which are now in their 23rd year,” they said. “Both parties have agreed to the removal.”
Swillhouse bar Le Foote, at The Rocks, won New Bar of the Year in 2023.
The lesser-known, bartender-led Idiot Savant awards, also held during Sydney Bar Week, announced it would change award categories such as “hottest bar team” and “best toilets” following public criticism.
“We aim to bring together the industry in a light-hearted and relaxed way, providing an opportunity to shine a light on long-standing contributors, great bars, venues and the fun side of our industry,” a spokesperson said in a statement posted to social media on Thursday night.
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