Top sommelier who quit winery over claims he sexually harassed two women at corporate dinner loses unfair dismissal case

A top wine expert who quit his job over claims he sexually harassed two women at a corporate dinner has lost an unfair dismissal case.Jake Crimmin was accused of making guests feel 'uncomfortable' with inappropriate comments and touching.The sommelier gave up his role at leading global winery Gallo before the conclusion of the disciplinary investigation – claiming it had been 'predetermined'.Mr Crimmin was previously employed at the three-Michelin star restaurant L'Enclume in the Lake District.A tribunal heard he began working for E & J Gallo Winery in August 2022.The company is the world's largest family-owned winery and is based in California – with its UK headquarters in Uxbridge. It has an estimated annual revenue of around $5.3billion.Mr Crimmin was working for the European branch of the company and was based within their 'Luxury' team as a luxury fine wine ambassador.The tribunal heard he was suspended in February 2025 after the winery was made aware of allegations of sexual harassment made against him at a corporate event. Jake Crimmin (pictured) was accused of making guests feel 'uncomfortable' with inappropriate comments and touchingTwo women said he had made inappropriate comments and touched them inappropriately when they were at a food pairing dinner, hosted by Gallo and drinks company Molson Coors, at the Radisson Red hotel in Heathrow in January 2025.One woman, who wished to remain anonymous, said she had been talking about getting married and how she had met her fiancé. At this point Mr Crimmin was alleged to have said he 'wished he had met her on a dating app' and 'put his hand on her thigh'.The woman also said he had put his hand underneath where she was sitting and slid it up her thigh to 'where it meets her bum'.Another woman said Mr Crimmin had put his hand on her back and moved it down to the 'small of her back' and that when they were sitting in a booth together he put his hand on her thigh.The woman also claimed he had called her 'beautiful' and asked if she 'got told that all the time' but she had replied 'definitely not at work.'Mr Crimmin denied all of the accusations in an investigation meeting, despite several people saying they had witnessed his behaviour.Bringing an unfair dismissal case against E & J Gallo Winery at Watford Employment Tribunal, he claimed bosses were trying to get rid of him because the investigator emailed another colleague saying, 'Good news! Jake Crimmin officially resigned this morning!' Harman House in Uxbridge, where E & J Gallo Winery's headquarters is based, is pictured (file image)An email sent to Mr Crimmin said: 'The organisation has decided it is necessary to conduct an investigation into your actions at a Gallo/Molson Coors wine and food pairing dinner at the Raddison Red Hotel in Heathrow on January 15, 2025, at which it is alleged that you made inappropriate comments to two females who work for Molson Coors and made them uncomfortable by touching them inappropriately.'Mr Crimmin told the winery he was struggling with anxiety after a meeting and that he needed to discuss his options with them as he worried that going back to work would be difficult after the allegations.He was told he would be facing a disciplinary meeting but the winery did not know how the process would play out and that it had a zero tolerance policy towards sexual harassment.The following day, Mr Crimmin sent his resignation to the winery because he said it had been made clear to him the way the process would go.Investigator Kelly Gomez emailed a colleague that day to say, 'Good news! Jake Crimmin officially resigned this morning!'Edouard Baijot, the international director, said: 'I am saddened to see a member of our Luxury team leaving the boat but his current position was no longer tenable, so he did the right choice for his career and future.'At tribunal, Employment Judge Patrick Quill said the zero tolerance policy mentioned to Mr Crimmin did not mean he would not receive a fair hearing.He said: 'Having a zero tolerance policy to sexual harassment is not, in principle, different to having a zero tolerance policy to some other type of misconduct.'For example, some employers might have a "zero tolerance" policy towards theft from the employer.'However, that does not imply that every time an allegation of theft is made the employee will be dismissed and it does not imply that the outcome (namely a decision that the employee has committed the theft) has been predetermined as of the point in time that they are first notified that there is said to be a case to answer.'I consider that the distinction just mentioned is an obvious one, and [Mr Crimmin] did not have to be a lawyer or HR expert to understand it, and that he did understand it.'Judge Quill said the comments made by his colleagues after he had resigned were irrelevant.He said: 'The fact that Ms Gomez was pleased when she found out that [he] had resigned is largely irrelevant.'[He] did not resign because of her reaction to his resignation; that is a matter of simple chronology. However, and in any event, she was the person conducting the investigation, and was not going to be the ultimate decision maker.'Edouard Baijot's comments are even less relevant. Again, his comments are after [he] had already resigned (and so were not the cause of the resignation).'However, in effect, he simply says the same thing that [Mr Crimmin] has said, namely that [his] resignation was the best thing for [his] career.'Judge Quill added: 'Finally, in relation to [Mr Crimmin's] suggestion that there was an improper motive and that actually the true reason for his (alleged) dismissal was redundancy, that is a very far-fetched assertion with no evidence to support it.'Apart from anything else, it would probably have been cheaper to carry out a redundancy exercise and dismiss [him] by reason of redundancy than to carry out this investigation into alleged gross misconduct.'However, regardless of whether it was more expensive to dismiss by reason of redundancy, or by reason of gross misconduct, it is not the least bit suspicious or surprising that, having been contacted by Molson Coors, the [winery] decided to carry out an investigation.'There is no reason whatsoever for me to suspect that there was a hidden motive.'