It wasn’t more than a month ago that the opening of Chef Conrad Gallagher newest restaurant Bistro Vin De Boeuf in St Francis Bay attracted attention, focusing on meat and wine according to its name.
Now Wagyu meat is at the centre of another Gallagher scam to hit the proverbial fan, according to a News24 story entitled ‘Cook or crook? The celebrity chef from Gqeberha, the Saudi crown prince and R500000 Wagyu steaks’!
News24 reported over the weekend that Gallagher has used his old trick of placing an order and then not paying for it. Nothing new for this notorious chef, whose modus operandi in opening restaurants in Dublin, New York, Cape Town, and Port Elizabeth has been exactly this: placing orders, and not paying his suppliers, in addition to not pay rent (in Cape Town), and not pay staff salaries (allegedly in all cities he operated in).
As one of the personal chefs for Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, News 24 reports that Gallagher was hired to cater for an elite event of super VIPs at the exclusive Ekland Game Farm in Makhado, Limpopo province, in June. Non-disclosure agreements had to be signed by chefs and suppliers. No cellphones were allowed at the Game Farm.
Not only have the waiters used for the event allegedly not yet been paid, but Dry Ager Deli Supplies which supplied around R500000 of Wagyu beef for the event has also not been paid. The Wagyu supplier had an established relationship with Gallagher’s Deli in St Francis Bay. Gallagher offered to pay a deposit of R200000 but never did, but the supplier had already bought the carcasses when Gallagher told him that the event had been cancelled. A few weeks later it was told that the event was on again. Being out of pocket from the initial order, the company demanded full payment upfront. Gallagher paid R25000 weekly, R150000 in total, and said he would pay the balance when the meat was delivered at Ekland. Once delivered, Gallagher reneged on any further payment, stating that the meat was of a bad quality. Yet Gallagher did not return the meat either. The company is owed a balance of R142000. And so another Gallagher con is recorded, adding to the history of his unprofessional dishonest conduct!
Soon the world will become too small for ‘Cook or crook’ Conrad Gallagher in setting up new restaurants and in dealing with suppliers, as his reputation will precede him.
Chris von Ulmenstein, WhaleTales Blog: www.whaletalesblog.com www.chrisvonulmenstein.com/blog Tel +27 082 55 11 323 Twitter:@Ulmenstein Facebook: Chris von Ulmenstein Instagram: @Chrissy_Ulmenstein @MyCapeTownGuide