By Charlotte Grieve

Copyright brisbanetimes

The revelations about Melbourne’s most high-profile Italian food baron came amid a cultural reckoning for Australia’s hospitality industry, with scandals engulfing well-known groups in Sydney, including Merivale and Swillhouse, and Victorian venues Kaprica and Moonah.

‘People who are being championed are these problematic characters who have inflicted harm on women. Who are we displacing in that narrative?’Emma Pegrum

After publication, several more people came forward with various allegations, including one woman who alleged Grossi groped her breast without consent during a Melbourne Food and Wine Festival Event last year.

The woman, aged in her early 20s and who declined to be named for privacy reasons, said she was a fan of his restaurants and asked for a photograph with her friends.

“He had boisterous energy,” she said. “He was joking with us, we took a photo. When we were in the photo, he reached around and grabbed my boob.

“It was behind my back… He appeared to be a little bit intoxicated. I was like ‘Oh,’ stiffened-back vibe. In my mind, I was like, ‘We’ve got to get f—ing out of here now, that was weird. I just got groped’.”

The woman and her friends ran out of the event towards Flinders Street Station where they discussed the alleged groping. This masthead interviewed one of the woman’s friends who witnessed and corroborated this account.

Grossi did not respond to questions about what changes, if any, he has made to his behaviour, but issued a statement through defamation lawyers labelling the new allegations as “unsubstantiated and malicious”.

“Our client stridently denies the allegations that you have put.”

‘Long-lasting legacy’

Smith, who hosts Australia’s longest running food show, said there was industry chatter after the allegations were published, but any criticism faded quickly. He believes Grossi’s legacy will remain untarnished.

“It’s a story of a great family putting their heads down and being a personification of Melbourne hospitality,” he said.

Food and Drink Victoria chief executive Anthea Bosha praised the family’s ownership of the venue she described as a “temple of Italian dining” after news the venues were up for sale.

“For the Grossi family to take custody of the venerated Florentino a quarter of a [century] ago … was a master stroke and will be a long-lasting legacy,” Bosha said.

Pegrum believes the industry needs to get better at having nuanced discussions about problematic behaviour. She reported Grossi to three separate media outlets, including one who was working on a magazine story about “legacy families” in the restaurant industry, which included the Grossis.

“She said, ‘I’m sorry that happened, we can’t cut them from the story, they’re influential and belong in this story’,” Pegrum said.

Pegrum now runs her own restaurant in Perth and remains committed to improving the culture of Australia’s hospitality industry. She wants to see higher standards and newer voices celebrated.

“I’ve worked in the food press. I’ve worked in hospitality. I have a hospitality business. I can see it from all of these different angles,” she said. “People who are being championed are these problematic characters who have inflicted harm on women. Who are we displacing in that narrative?”