Gastro pub will not give in to animal rights activists

Related tags Foie gras

The owners of an award-winning pub have refused to bow to pressure from animal rights activists to take foie gras off its menu. The Belle Epoque and...

The owners of an award-winning pub have refused to bow to pressure from animal rights activists to take foie gras off its menu.

The Belle Epoque and the Duke of Portland, both in Cheshire, are being targeted by animal rights activists for serving the French delicacy.

Police have even warned the owner for fear of having venues attacked and damaged.

But Matthew Mooney, who owns both pubs, has refused to back down.

He said: "I don't understand why we have been singled out. We use foie gras as a secondary ingredient in Chicken & Liver Foie Parfait on our menu of over 30 dishes.

"All the rest of the menu is researched and put together using only locally sourced produce including RSPCA freedom friendly beef. "From an ethical standpoint, regionally there is no one better than us. I refuse to give in to violent activists. Foie gras is a delicacy that our customers enjoy."

This is the second time the police have asked the restaurateurs to take the ingredients off the menu in six months. Detectives have been carrying out undercover work and monitoring activists after threats of damage to property and restaurants in the area.

Foie gras (French for fat liver) often sparks controversy among activists due to the way it is produced. The process can involve force-feeding a goose or duck to fatten its liver.

Last week Midsummer House in Cambridge, one of only a handful of restaurants in Britain to have two Michelin stars, remove foie gras from the menu after it was subjected to protests and vandalism by animal activists.

The Duke of Portland, in Lach Dennis, was the only venue in Cheshire to be added into the 2007 Michelin Pub Guide. It also won Pub of the Year at the Cheshire Food & Drink Festival last year.

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