Bath restaurants resists pressure to take foie gras off menu

A restaurant in Bath has insisted it will continue to serve foie gras despite animal activists staging continued protests outside its premises.

Members of the Bath Activist Network (BAN) staged demonstrations outside the city’s Minibar for four consecutive nights last week in a bid to get the restaurant to remove the controversial delicacy from its menu.

Chef and co-owner Alex Grant, who has run the restaurant for the past year, said members of BAN were rude and aggressive towards his staff and customers.

"They were shouting and swearing, and being threatening,” Grant told the Bath Chronicle.

Minibar last year removed foie gras from its menu following protests by BAN but Grant has insisted he will not give in to the protests this time.

"I have a right to sell foie gras in my restaurant, it is not illegal. It is a popular dish, people love it and come in to eat it.

"No one will tell me what to do with my menu."

However a spokesman BAN added: "Foie gras is torture.

"It is hypocritical of Minibar to talk about freedom of choice when animals have their freedom and right to life taken away from them.”

Literally French for “fat liver”, foie gras is produced by the process of force-feeding, during which a bird is administered its feed using a funnel fitted with a long tube.

For more on the subject, view our foie gras landing page >>

Animal activists force foie gras off restaurant menu >> 

Michael Caines targeted by activists over foie gras >>

By Kerstin Kühn

E-mail your comments to Kerstin Kühn here.

Caterersearch.com jobs
Looking for a new job? Find your next restaurant job here with Caterersearch.com jobs