Michael Deane, a Michelin-starred chef who has hosted private events for golfer Rory McIlroy, apologised after a now-deleted Facebook post that criticised the use of what he described as “undocumented” migrant food delivery drivers drew widespread online condemnation.
In the original post, Deane warned that ordering takeaways through apps meant customers were "inviting a stranger, often an undocumented one, right to your front door," and asked, "Who are they? Where did they come from? What checks were done? You don't know. And you're not supposed to ask." He urged people to "dine out tonight" to support local restaurants and to resist what he called an "app economy" that has, he argued, undermined high streets and community ties.
Deane deleted the original post and replaced it with an apology in which he said his remarks had unfairly blamed migrant workers. "In attempting to comment on how the app economy has undermined the economic and social fabric of our city, decimating the high street and making strangers of neighbours, I appeared to lay the blame at the feet of the migrant workers who deliver food via these apps. For that, I would like to apologise," he wrote. He added that "migrant workers are the backbone of the hospitality industry, including my own establishments; without them our pubs and restaurants would not function" and called his words "poorly thought out and badly timed."
The post prompted an immediate backlash across social media and from local politicians and campaign groups. Gerry Carroll, a lawmaker with the party People Before Profit, shared the deleted post and called the comments "disgusting," accusing Deane of "punching down on migrant workers." Ivanka Antova, chair of United Against Racism Belfast, described the remarks as "tone deaf" amid "numerous attacks on black and brown workers by racist mobs." At the same time, some social media users defended Deane, saying his concerns about the app economy and high-street decline were valid and that he should not have apologised.
Deane, who has held a Michelin star for around 30 years, is a well-known figure in Northern Ireland’s restaurant scene and has worked with McIlroy on private dining occasions. In interviews earlier this year he discussed menus he might prepare for McIlroy, saying the golfer favours local produce, seafood and a simple fillet steak.
In his apology, Deane framed his original remarks as an attempt to criticise the economic effects of delivery apps rather than to disparage the workers they employ. He expressed regret for the language he used and pledged an unreserved apology to those offended. The deleted post and the ensuing responses illustrate tensions in public debate over migrant labour, platform-based work and the economic pressures facing independent restaurants.