Susan Clairmont: Chef Jeff Crump no longer with Bread Bar restaurants

Chef Jeff Crump has parted ways with his Bread Bar restaurants in the wake of a Hamilton Spectator investigation into sexual misconduct allegations concerning his former head chef, Manny Ferreira.

While Crump and parent company Pearle Hospitality have been negotiating his departure for at least a year, according to Pearle president Aaron Ciancone, he says the recent Spectator story acted as a catalyst" to hasten the move.

The article ... definitely brought some concerns," Ciancone told The Spectator. We were able to move quickly on (acquiring the controlling interest of Bread Bar) because this had been in the works."

He says Pearle and Crump had a difference in management style" and our values were starting to not align."

He did not elaborate.

In an emotional interview with The Spectator, Crump said he is extremely proud of Bread Bar, his staff and the chance to work with the Ciancone family, however he no longer wanted the massive workload that came with overseeing all the Bread Bar locations. There are Bread Bar restaurants on Locke Street and James Street in Hamilton, and in Guelph. All are now controlled by Pearle. The company also owns Ancaster Mill, Cambridge Mill, and Elora Mill, Spencer's at the Waterfront, Whistle Bear Golf Club and Earth to Table Farm. At one point, Crump was corporate chef for all locations.

It's extremely upsetting to me, even though this is kind of what I wanted," says Crump. I'm popping champagne and crying."

Ciancone says his concerns" relate to allegations involving Ferreira, who was fired from Bread Bar seven years ago.

Ciancone says he was unaware" of allegations of sexual harassment, sexual assault and indecent exposure concerning Ferreira until he read of them.

The Spectator investigation mentioned that Ferreira and Crump first met while working together in the kitchen at Ancaster Old Mill.

Crump says he has always tried to give opportunities to those who need someone to take a chance on them. Ferreira - who has revealed publicly that he has battled addiction and was once homeless - fit that bill.

He came to me as a struggling man," says Crump, who adds he has no ongoing relationship with Ferreira.

My entire career has come down to one person who went off and did really bad things," says Crump.

When Crump opened the Bread Bar in 2010, he invited Ferreira to be its chef, providing him with a huge career opportunity. In 2015, Ferreira was fired from Bread Bar but won a Chopped Canada competition on the Food Network. He used his winnings - with backing from Crump and investor Joe Accardi, who owns Ambitious Realty and Forge and Foster Investment Management - to open his own restaurant. Mezcal is a taco and tequila spot on James Street South. Downstairs, Ferreira also has Uno Mas, a tapas and cocktail lounge.

More than eight women and men have accused Ferreira of incidents ranging from grinding against workers, to exposing himself to a customer to sending an unwanted video of himself masturbating to an employee to having intercourse with a woman who told him No."

New allegations suggest Ferreira also harassed and sexually harassed his staff members while at Bread Bar when Crump was his boss.

Ciancone says Crump was involved with the firing of Ferreira, but it is unclear if he knew of the sexual harassment complaint.

Allison Geleynse began working at Bread Bar part-time in February 2011. She was 19, Ferreira was more than a decade older.

At first, she thought he was charming and charismatic."

Quickly the chef began making her uneasy.

There was an air of being nice to me, with sexual undertones," she says. I was very aware that he watched me a lot. It made me very nervous. It made me very uncomfortable."

Ferreira began saying inappropriate things, she says.

He was very obsessed with my sexual experience," she alleges.

It got more and more extreme to the point where one day, in the kitchen, he pressed himself up against me and said: I can smell the virgin all over you.'"

Allison says she was visibly upset. She became flushed and shaky. Ferreira seemed to enjoy getting a reaction" from her," she says.

Not sure what to do, Allison told a friend what happened. Word got back to Ferreira days later and he confronted her. She alleges he told her if she talked again, he'd fire her.

After that, he treated her horribly," she says.

On one shift, the bullying was so bad, she cried. A manager pulled her into the office and Allison revealed what had been happening.

Allison says she was given time off work. When she returned, she was presented with an apology letter purportedly from Ferreira. In fact, she learned, the letter was written by the manager and simply signed by Ferreira. Allison was instructed to sign it as well in order to accept" the apology. She did so, but quit shortly after to avoid any further contact with Ferreira.

She burned the apology letter, she says, because it made her anxious."

When asked if there were complaints or problems concerning Ferreira during his years at Bread Bar, Ciancone said, I can't recall. There's nothing that stood out in terms of something being brought forward."

So why was Ferreira fired?

Numerous Bread Bar employees, current and past, have told The Spectator Ferreira was fired after making an anti-Semitic comment to a Bread Bar worker in front of customers.

Yeah, you know, yup, that seems right," Ciancone said after hearing those details.

The Spectator reached out to Ferreira through his lawyer, Peter Boushy.

I have again advised Mr. Ferreira that it is best for him not to comment on any past or upcoming Spec articles," Boushy responded in an email.

In a previous statement, Ferreira denied all allegations made against him.

Hamilton Police Sexual Assault Unit: 905-540-5553 or online at www.hamiltonpolice.on.ca.

SACHA: 905-525-4162

McMaster University Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office: svpro@mcmaster.ca

SAVIS (Sexual Assault and Violence Intervention Services of Halton): 905-875-1555

Susan Clairmont is a Hamilton-based crime, court and social justice columnist at The Spectator. Reach her via email: sclairmont@thespec.com