Som Saa chef let go after social media posts provoke accusations of racism
Chef Shaun Beagley has been let go fromSom Saa restaurant after posts and videos made from social media accounts in his name provoked accusations of racism.
Som Saa, located in east London's Spitalfields, described the comments as "unacceptable".
The restaurant released a statement on Twitter which read: "Som Saa is a restaurant born out of a love and respect for Thai food, Thai friends and Thai culture. What is more, our team has and always will be made up of many other nationalities too.
"Due to the unacceptable comments made by a member of the team on social media he has been let go. The comments are not those of Som Saa or any members of the Som Saa team. We would like to wholeheartedly apologise for any hurt and upset that the comments have caused."
Beagley declined to comment when contacted by The Caterer.
Concerns were raised over Beagley's comments on social media by Eater London writer Jonathan Nunn.
Som Saa opened its first permanent site in Spitalfields in east London in 2016. The business, founded by Andy Oliver, Mark Dobbie and Tom George, began life as a pop-up in Peckham. The restaurant takes its name from a Thai citrus fruit, representing the founders' passion for old-style Thai cooking and lesser-known regional dishes of Thailand.
