Hilton chef switched suppliers ‘to obtain soccer match tickets'

The executive head chef at Edinburgh's Hilton Caledonian hotel was fired after complaints that he switched suppliers to secure tickets for Celtic football matches, an employment tribunal was told.

David Kinnes, from St Monans, Fife, denied that he switched fish suppliers to the Princes Street hotel to obtain tickets.

But an employment tribunal in Dundee rejected his unfair sacking claim. The tribunal heard supplier M&J Seafood complain that it had lost the business as it was unable to offer the head chef free tickets for a Celtic match.

Sales manager Martin Finegan wrote: "There have been two instances recently where, because we were unable to offer tickets for the Celtic v Rangers match he has transferred his ordering to another supplier.

"After a couple of visits from Ken Brechin - sales manager - we managed to gain the order back, only to lose it a week later when we could not offer tickets for the Celtic v Valencia game."

Following a disciplinary hearing hotel management found that he had placed orders with a particular supplier in order to receive Celtic football match tickets and he was sacked for gross misconduct. In its findings the tribunal said hotel management were entitled to conclude he had acted dishonestly. It also heard that the food supplier had now stopped its policy of issuing complimentary football tickets.

by Fiona Davidson