TV chef Michel Roux Jr paid some staff less than the national living wage
- Published
Some staff at TV chef Michel Roux Jr's London restaurant were being paid less than the living wage, according to a Guardian investigation, external.
Some workers at Le Gavroche got as little as £5.50 an hour - below the living wage of £7.20 an hour for over-25s.
In a statement, the Mayfair restaurant confirmed that it was paying some staff below the national living wage.
It says it's increasing pay for those staff "with immediate effect".
One starter at Michel Roux Jr's restaurant costs more than £60
Le Gavroche charges £62.80 for a starter of lobster mousse with caviar and champagne butter sauce.
Some staff, who spoke to the Guardian for its investigation, said that they are paid about £375 per week before tax.
For working 68 hours per week, which some say they do, they should be paid at least £490.
This means that they were being paid less than staff working at McDonald's.
The hourly rate for a crew member at McDonald's in London is £7.25 an hour for over-24s.
Staff could also work more than 14 hours in one day.
A tasting menu with wine at two-Michelin-starred Le Gavroche costs £215
One anonymous chef at the restaurant told the Guardian: "It is clear exploitation and inexcusable.
"Other restaurants pay their staff at least minimum wage, even if it is a struggle for them to do so.
"If any restaurant can afford to pay their staff the legal minimum, it is Le Gavroche."
But one chef who spoke to Newsbeat wasn't surprised by the working conditions reported in Le Gavroche.
Ade Folarin, who is 21 and works at the Opera Tavern in London, said working 62-68 hours per week isn't uncommon.
"For £5.50 an hour, they're working them like slaves, but to be honest I'm not surprised.
"A lot of these restaurants try to subsidise their costs by making as much money with as little man power as possible.
"Pay them less and with such high food prices you'll make more."
Michel Roux Jr was a judge on Masterchef: The Professionals before quitting in 2014
Ade is going to work at a Michelin-starred restaurant next year and said that up-and-coming chefs will often be willing to work at top restaurants for such low wages.
He said: "I can imagine it's like, 'Oh my God. I'm working with Michel Roux Jr - I'll just take anything.'
"Some people are willing to go to a Michelin and work for free just to get their feet in the door.
"When I first started working in kitchens, my head chef had worked at a Michelin for free for two weeks just to see what it was like - and she was still doing the same hours as paid members of staff."
In 2012, Michel Roux Jr said that young people "would rather be sat on benefits" than work hard in a menial job.
He regularly employs young people from the UK and Europe.
"Kids these days want to be the next Gordon Ramsay, Jamie Oliver or even me," he said.
"But they want instant success and they want it on a plate, now."
Find us on Instagram at BBCNewsbeat, external and follow us on Snapchat, search for bbc_newsbeat