False dog meat story threatens future of Chinese restaurant

Estelle Johnston, who has run China Rose in South Parade, Bawtry, near Doncaster, for almost three decades, spoke out after hearing several versions of a similar story from friends, neighbours and customers.

She said the rumour revolves around a woman diner who apparently choked on a microchip after eating a meal during a party at the venue, which was supposedly identified later as a chip which had been from a former racing greyhound.

It has been alleged that both police and paramedics were called to the restaurant to deal with the fictitious incident, with the accusation being repeated that retired greyhounds from Sheffield were being used in the food.

Mrs Johnston branded those behind the stories “morons” and said her manager, Eugene Chee, had called her several times to say that bookings were being cancelled as a result of people believing what they heard.

She added: “Three weeks ago I got a call from the manager saying people were ringing up to say they thought we had been closed down.

“Later there was a call from a friend in Mansfield who understood we had been closed because we had dirty kitchens.

“Then the manager rang me again to say he thought we had a serious problem, because somebody had just phoned up and said they had heard that a diner had choked in the restaurant on a microchip from a dog.

“Since then people have been ringing us up saying they want to cancel and even asking for refunds on deposits they have made on bookings for the busy Christmas period. It is a nightmare.

“It is hard enough doing business at the moment without suffering an attack like this. My first attitude was to laugh it off, but the effects it is having are actually frightening.”

Mrs Johnston, who lives in Bawtry, said she and her family had spent 27 years building up China Rose’s envied reputation as one of South Yorkshire’s best Chinese restaurants.

This year they are celebrating their 20th anniversary at their current premises and are making arrangements for a charity fashion show which she said will not be affected by the rumours.

She added: “My manager’s wife is an interpreter for the NHS and when she started to ask colleagues about it their first reaction was: ‘Are you going to tell me about the dog?’

“Some other friends said they were on their way back from a holiday in Tenerife and had heard another couple in the departures lounge talking about this and I’ve been told it is on Facebook.

“The moronic people who start these things have no idea of the implications. It takes years to build up a good reputation but it doesn’t take long to get a bad one. This could absolutely ruin us.”

According to Mr Chee, China Rose is not the first restaurant to be targeted, and said he had seen internet rumours about microchips relating to other Yorkshire venues and those further afield.

However, he said it would appear that the details about the use of greyhounds, which are notoriously difficult to rehome once their racing days are over, is a new addition in the Bawtry case.

The manager, who has worked in the Chinese restaurant trade for more than two decades said: “It is complete nonsense, but people are calling and wanting to cancel because of what they have heard.

“They say they understand the RSPCA have been involved and really believe the story. They have even said they have heard that the restaurant has been boarded up and closed.

“I am still getting telephone calls from customers who have heard different versions of the story which say we have gone bankrupt or have been forced into liquidation.

“It just absolute nonsense, nothing has changed and we are still trading as normal.”

Doncaster Council’s environmental health team said it had not received any complaints about China Rose, but was aware of the false rumours which were circulating about the greyhound and the microchip.

Officers have been to see Mrs Johnston and her staff in a bid to stamp out the stories and are set to produce a letter which will be displayed on the premises which they hope will help to scotch the rumours.

Peter Dale, the council’s director of regeneration and environment, said: “The inspection of food at the restaurant has always shown good quality, reliably sourced, meat on the premises and never any suggestion of anything unusual.”

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