A Michelin star restaurant owner has defended himself after being blasted for asking job applicants to send a photograph of themselves.
Michael O'Hare, who runs Leeds eatery The Man Behind The Curtain, sparked the backlash when advertising for the role on Twitter .
The vacancy was in the front of house team and paid £24,000 a year, but the respected chef was accused of discrimination following the move, reports Leeds Live .
He said: "I’m looking for a career driven person to join my front of house team. 45 hrs per week. Package circa 24k Xmas and New Years off... and an opportunity to do cool stuff with us .. email careers@themanbehindthecurtain.co.uk with CV, cover letter and recent photo pls."
However, numerous Twitter users reacted angrily, with one responding: "why do you need a photo?", while another said: "Recent photo? what for exactly? Never heard of a job advertisement ask for a photo.."
Someone else tweeted: "And how much do you want to bet the photo has everything to do with what the person looks like!!!! Vanity project!"
However, the chef then defended himself by claiming: "I'm not trying to f*** them I just want them to carry plates for me."
Responding on Twitter, he said: "Twitter is so Agro man.
"For the record photos with a CV is a popular euro thing and it makes it easy to identify people afterwards. It’s not a discrimination thing I don’t care about colour, gender or looks. I’m not trying to f*** them I just want them to carry plates for me."
In many European countries, excluding the UK and Ireland, employers often expect people to include a photograph of themselves in a job application.
The Man Behind The Curtain, in Vicar Lane, was awarded a coveted Michelin star in October 2015.
The official Michelin Guide praises the restaurant for "accomplished, highly skilled cooking" and "very original, creative combinations".
Mr O'Hare is also the creative director of GG Hospitality - a hotel and restaurant group owned by retired professional footballers Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs - and has appeared on various cooking TV shows, including Masterchef and Saturday Kitchen.
