![\"People](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/089f6b43-1867-4e70-b633-8dcc080427e7.jpg\")
<\/p>\nOn Wednesday evening, Mr Deane posted on Facebook that by ordering food to your home via an app you are \u201cinviting a stranger, often an undocumented one right to your front door\u201d.<\/p>\n
The post was subsequently deleted.<\/p>\n
A hospitality union then issued a statement claiming the chef\u2019s post \u201cadds fuel to the atmosphere of hate\u201d and claimed it was putting migrant workers \u201cin danger\u201d.<\/p>\n
On Thursday afternoon, Mr Deane issued an apology on his Facebook account saying his words were \u201cpoorly thought out and badly timed\u201d.<\/p>\n
“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,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n
\u201cMigrant workers are the backbone of the hospitality industry, including my own establishments; without them our pubs and restaurants would not function.<\/p>\n
“My words were poorly thought out and badly timed, and I apologise unreservedly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Prior to the original being deleted, Mr Deane posted: \u201cDine out tonight support your local restaurant who stay loyal to its people and its produce Hospitality Ulster. Britain has become addicted to the app economy. <\/p>\n
\u201cTap a button, and dinner, groceries, or a ride home magically appear.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Deane referenced a number of app based delivery companies within in the post.<\/p>\n
“But here\u2019s the uncomfortable truth nobody wants to say out loud: when you order… you\u2019re not just ordering food or transport you\u2019re effectively inviting a stranger, often an undocumented one right to your front door,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
\u201cThink about it. Once upon a time, the milkman left a couple of bottles on your doorstep. You knew his name, his family, his round.<\/p>\n
“Now, an anonymous rider pulls up outside your house, logs your exact location, and disappears into the night with your data.\u201d<\/p>\n
On Monday concerns were raised after a man was forced from his car near the east Belfast site by a crowd who then damaged his vehicle.<\/p>\n
Police have since confirmed that the driver of a second car was also confronted by the group. Both incidents are being treated as racially motivated hate crimes.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll<\/p>\n
A spokesperson for Unite Hospitality NI posted on Thursday: \u201cAcross hospitality and delivery platforms, migrant workers have been on the receiving end of abuse, threats and violence.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs hospitality workers, we know the reality: it is in hotels, bars and restaurants where our members, overwhelmingly young women and non-binary folk, face endemic sexual harassment and abuse.<\/p>\n
“The same forces who now terrorise migrant workers are not protecting women or children, they are perpetuating the climate of fear that keeps workers unsafe.\u201d<\/p>\n
They continued: \u201cFor many people, eating out is an occasional treat, but the reality is that working-class households are under pressure like never before.<\/p>\n
“That pressure in turn also hits hospitality staff, with hours, tips and jobs all under strain as prices rise and less people eat out. People are working longer hours for less pay and are increasingly reliant on the quick, affordable food delivery provided by predominantly migrant workers.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe offer our full solidarity to delivery workers and all migrants facing intimidation.”<\/p>\n
![\"Michael](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/832e542f-d458-466c-8f7d-956cd5d90220.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Michael Deane<\/p>\n
Belfast History Explained: The Story of the River Farset<\/p>\n
People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll also hit out at Mr Deane, branding his original post \u201cdisgusting\u201d and accusing him of “punching down on migrant workers\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cScapegoating migrant workers won’t fill your tables,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"On Wednesday evening, Mr Deane posted on Facebook that by ordering food to your home via an app…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":130554,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[27884,1334,59,61576,86,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-130553","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-technology","8":"tag-amy-cochrane","9":"tag-belfast","10":"tag-gb","11":"tag-michael-deane","12":"tag-technology","13":"tag-uk","14":"tag-united-kingdom","15":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130553","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=130553"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130553\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/130554"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=130553"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=130553"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=130553"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}