Australian hotel apologises for offering diners 'grilled Aborigine'
Australia’s Hyatt Canberra hotel, frequented by world leaders, offered “Aborigines and rocket salad” and initially joked about the mistake before issuing an official apology.
A leading Australian hotel has been forced to apologise after it offered lunchtime diners a "grilled Moroccan Aborigine and rocket salad" – apparently following a spellcheck error involving the word “aubergine”.
The Hyatt Canberra, a colonial-style five-star hotel frequented by government leaders and diplomats, included the error on a card accompanying a dish on the lunchtime buffet.
The mistake was spotted by Liz Foschia, an ABC journalist, who posted a photograph of it on Twitter.
The hotel chain initially responded by joking about the mistake.
Its official Twitter account @HyattConcierge said in a tweet: "Definitely a unique menu option! Hope it's as good as it is complicated :) Have a fabulous day at Hyatt Canberra".
The tweet has since been deleted.
The hotel restaurant quickly removed the offending label and issued an official apology.
"Hyatt Hotel Canberra is sincerely sorry that one of today's salads was mislabelled and we deeply apologise for any offence caused,” it said in a statement.
“Hyatt Hotels is a multi-cultural company and an equal opportunity employer.”
The incident sparked discussion on social media, where others shared their experiences of spellcheck-affected menus.
“I saw Stuffed Aborigines on a menu in the middle east once, as well as Chicken With Herpes,” said one tweet.
The art deco-style hotel, one of the oldest and most famous in the capital, has accommodated numerous world leaders, including United States president Barack Obama, who stayed during his visit in 2011.
Source: The Telegraph UK, Jonathan Pearlman, 7th August 2015
Originally published as: Australian hotel apologises for offering diners 'grilled Aborigine'
