Whether you’re dining out at your local kopitiam or stocking up on groceries, you’ve probably noticed some pretty drastic hikes in prices this year.
Accordingly, one would think that wages would go up too, but that doesn’t seem to be the case at a restaurant chain belonging to a world-famous chef.
The Gordon Ramsay Bar & Grill restaurant in Malaysia has received backlash for offering its hostesses meagre salaries despite having an expensive menu.
Source: Joblum
According to a job listing, the restaurant is offering hostesses a minimum of S$453 (RM1,500), which roughly equates to five slices of Ramsay’s famous Beef Wellington at the restaurant.
While Gordon Ramsay Bar & Grill opened in Kuala Lumpur (KL) in June, a popular food vlogger’s TikTok sparked renewed interest in its menu.
In the video, vlogger Ivor tried a variety of the restaurant’s popular dishes like Pomme Purée, Hell’s Kitchen Burger, and of course, the Classic Beef Wellington.
Although the Beef Wellington costs S$90 (RM300), the TikToker was surprised to discover that it was only for one slice from the entire loaf.
Source: TikTok
She also ordered the Tortellini, Koffman Fries, and 64% Manjari Chocolate Tart.
For all that, the bill came up to S$302 (RM1,000) or S$75 (RM250) per person, as the vlogger said she split the bill with three others.
Despite the exorbitant amount, she felt that only the Beef Wellington was worth the money.
The TikTok video attracted even more eyeballs when a Twitter user pointed out the low wages for restaurant staff.
In the tweet, she attached screenshots of job listings by the restaurant alongside the video.
Source: Twitter
For the role of sous chef, the salary range was S$1,663 to S$2,329 (RM5,500 to RM7,700).
As for hostesses, the restaurant offers between S$453 and S$635 (RM1,500 to RM2,100) per month.
Taken aback by the low wages in relation to the menu’s steep prices, the Twitter user called out the restaurant and Sunway Resort – the restaurant’s location – for ‘exploiting third world country labour’.
Keeping in mind that a slice of Beef Wellington costs S$90, she inferred that a hostess’ salary was basically the equivalent of five slices.
The TikToker behind the video later chimed in as well with a cryptic tweet that simply had a string of eye emojis.
The tweet immediately incited a heated discussion among netizens, most of whom agreed that the wages are unreasonable.
One Twitter user criticised both Gordon Ramsay and Sunway Group, claiming that the latter is “cheapskate”.
Source: Twitter
Others used the incident to draw attention to an economic system which has been built on “exploited, low-cost labour”.
Source: Twitter
One pointed out that the hostess’ starting pay is half of what another luxury hotel, Four Seasons Kuala Lumpur, is paying theirs.
Nonetheless, there were also some who felt the sous chef’s pay was compatible with market rates.
Source: Twitter
They added that the prices need to account for the restaurant’s marketing costs as well.
This viral incident has shone a spotlight on the state of wages in not only Malaysia but hospitality sectors overall.
Waiters, cooks, and chefs are some of the hardest workers around, but their pay may not always reflect the amount of work they do.
We hope this encourages restaurants, especially those generating high profits, to review their staff’s wages regularly.
After all, they’re the backbone of the F&B industry.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from Google Maps and TikTok.
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