Saturday Kitchen star Aktar Islam has revealed how he was forced spend £51,000 of his own money to defend himself against false claims he had unfairly dismissed a pregnant employee after he closed down his critically acclaimed restaurant Legna.
The chef, 41, who won Great British Menu in 2011 and Gordon Ramsay’s The F Word the year before, Jasa Antar Jemput Karyawan Cikarang won an employment tribunal battle last month, after his former Assistant General Manager Sara Cowie claimed she had been fired due to falling pregnant.
Aktar – also runs Michelin-starred Indian restaurant Opheem in Birmingham as well as Argentinean steakhouse Pulperia – sent shocks through the culinary world when his upmarket Italian restaurant suddenly closed in January 2020.
Now, speaking exclusively to FEMAIL he has revealed how he felt ‘extorted’ out of £34,900 by his former employee – who he had hired due to his close relationship with her long-term partner. He also revealed the battle ‘completely devastated’ his mental health.
Speaking for the first time about the restaurant’s closure, the father-of-one explained how he has battled ‘tremendous financial, mental, and emotional strain’ to have his name cleared in a tough three-year battle
He believes the claims against him were unfounded because Ms Cowie had been let go due to ‘poor performance’ before her sacking.
He added that he has battled ‘tremendous financial, mental, and emotional strain’ to have his name cleared in a tough three-year battle.
Saturday Kitchen star Aktar Islam has revealed how he was forced to close down his critically acclaimed restaurant Legna and spend £51,000 of his own money to defend himself against false claims he had unfairly dismissed a pregnant employee.
Ms Cowie (pictured) was hired as an Assistant General Manager at Aktar’s Legna restaurant from 22nd October 2018 having previously worked as a Deputy Manager for Mitchells & Butlers pub group. She is pictured with her partner Ben Ternent
The former F Word winner told FEMAIL: ‘Once Legna had been dissolved I was allowed to be brought in personally by the tribunal even though in my opinion and in the opinion of my legal advisors, the evidence was overwhelmingly clear that this was an unfounded claim, this really caused great strain on me mentally and I was questioning the entire process and how it seems that it’s designed to extort employers.
‘I did no wrong, the business was dissolved yet I was allowed to be brought in personally.
‘I worry for those individuals who may have found themselves in a similar position without the ability to defend themselves. What if the pandemic killed my businesses would I have to go into debt to continue to defend myself?’
He added the case ‘could have been make or break for his career’ and went on for three years throughout the pandemic which decimated the hospitality industry.
He claimed the funds used could have been used to safeguard 100 jobs at his restaurants, which like many others in hospitality, were closed for the best part of over a year.
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Ms Cowie was hired as an Assistant General Manager at Aktar’s Legna restaurant from 22nd October 2018 having previously worked as a Deputy Manager for Mitchells & Butlers pub group.
The pair mutually agreed to a three-month probation period, even though the standard term within the industry is six months.
Concerns had been flagged to Ms Cowie multiple times throughout November and December regarding her performance – which Aktar described as ‘poor’.
In January 2019, at the end of her probation, Ms Cowie was notified that her employment as Assistant General Manager would not continue due to concerns surrounding her job performance.
Aktar pictured appearing on Saturday Kitchen with Jennifer Saunders in 2017
She was offered three alternative roles within the company, with the same salary as hers or up to a 40 per cent more, alongside training funded and administered by the restaurant.
Sara had also expressed interest to other members of staff about other roles within the business that were not frontline hospitality.
Aktar said he gave ‘extra support’ to Sara, because he had a close relationship with her partner Ben Ternent, who has been his friend for more than 10 years.
Ben also works as a chef in Birmingham and is due to open his own restaurant Chapter in the city soon.