Hawksmoor has issued a statement after a video posted on X showed Tommy Robinson allegedly getting asked to leave their Air Street restaurant in London.
The far-right activist, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, and his party were ‘kicked out’ of the steak restaurant after “finishing their starters”, claiming they had “no reason given” for their dismissal.
Once a prominent member of the EDL, Guramit Singh Kalirai, was also present at the dinner and posted a video on X along with the caption: “Just been kicked out of Hawksmoor steakhouse for no reason. Literally just had our starters.”
In the clip, you can hear the group speaking with the manager of the restaurant who tells them: “members of staff feel uncomfortable serving you”.
Mr Kalirai chimes in: “Is it because of the colour of my skin?” to which the manager promptly responds: “No, no, no. We have a duty of care to our members of staff.
“We like to look after our people, as I’m sure you can understand.”
Robinson is then given the CEO’s business card, which he’s advised to contact for any further questions.
The manager tells the group of men that the first round of drinks will be covered by the restaurant, adding: “I’m very sorry. I hope it hasn’t inconvenienced you.”
Mr Kalirai then turns to the camera, saying: “Have you seen that? We’ve just been kicked out of the steakhouse.
“Been sat here for a f***ing hour. We are sat here with the celebrities.”
Hawksmoor has since issued a statement claiming that ‘this was not about politics or beliefs.’
“Our focus is always to give the best restaurant experience to the most people possible,” the statement, signed by the company’s CEO Will Beckett, began.
“On Thursday, a public figure was asked to leave one of our restaurants because guests and staff felt uncomfortable and had complained. The party left peacefully and politely on request.
“This was not about politics or beliefs. Hawksmoor is not a political organisation; we’re a group of restaurants. We want to welcome as many people as possible, regardless of background or views, to our teams or as our guests.
“We’re not trying to engage in a public debate. The team has had to deal with a huge amount of fallout from this, some of which is quite concerning. We would like to get back to focussing on looking after those people, and our guests. Thank you to them, and the many of you who have been so supportive.”