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[Above: British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver (centre) is surrounded by his team of trainee chefs at the opening of the Fifteen Melbourne restaurant in September 2006. The manager of the restaurant was charged Friday with stealing thousands of dollars and burning down the company's offices.]
MELBOURNE - THE manager of British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver's chic Australian restaurant was charged on Friday with stealing thousands of dollars and burning down the company's offices.
Thirty-two-year-old Kevin Stralow ran Fifteen Restaurant in Melbourne for the foundation Oliver set up to help disadvantaged young people enter the restaurant business, a court heard.
The fire at the charity's offices near the restaurant on June 5 caused about A$1 million (S$1.3 million) in damage and destroyed two other offices in the building before firefighters managed to bring it under control.
Stralow, who has been sacked, was also accused in the Melbourne Magistrates Court of stealing some A$23,000 of the restaurant's takings between April 14 and June 2.
The management of Oliver's Fifteen Foundation said in a statement it was deeply disappointed and saddened by the case.
'We place great trust in our trainees and we're proud of the fact they continue to work extremely hard to build their skills and turn their lives around,' the statement said.
Fifteen Melbourne executive head chef Tobie Puttock said Oliver had been in touch to offer encouragement to the staff and trainee chefs.
'He's basically sent out big hugs and kisses to us and... we can power through this, so we'll just keep going.' Puttock told reporters the office was also used by trainees as a safe place to relax.
'For me, that was the biggest loss we had,' he said. 'A lot of the young people we have on board don't have maybe such a good home life.
'For them, it was a place they could go and actually hang out, or talk to us or counsellors or me or the other chefs.'
The Fifteen Foundation says it has helped around 50 trainees since the Melbourne restaurant - one of four Fifteen Restaurants worldwide - was launched in September 2006.
Stralow, who denied the allegations, was granted bail under the condition that he stays away from the restaurant and is due to reappear in court in September.
Oliver, whose first television series was titled The Naked Chef, promotes simple, healthy cooking and is known for his campaign against the processed foods served in British schools. -- AFP
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