Owners of a restaurant in the United Kingdom decided they were no longer interested in catering to vegans, and they have been facing intense criticism ever since.
On Wednesday, the owners of The Kitchen at London House on the Isle of Wight, England, revealed their new evening menu for Friday and Saturday nights on Facebook.
It included a variety of dishes including spanakopita, confit duck leg cassoulet and goats cheese fig tart. It did not, however, include any vegan options.
While many commenters said they were looking forward to attending the restaurant and trying the new menu, others questioned why their particular dietary choices had not been considered.
“No vegan mains!!” one Facebook user commented. In response, The Kitchen at London House simply replied, “No!”
Another user questioned, “No vegan options?” to which the restaurant’s account politely replied, “No, sorry.”
The restaurant owners never singled out vegans in its post, and they did not attack anyone who raised issues with its lack of vegan options in the comments. The same could not be said for the angry vegans.
In a subsequent post, The Kitchen at London House owners detailed the attacks they had been subject to on social media following the menu release.
Should this restaurant feel remorseful for not offering vegan options?
Yes: 1% (1 Votes)
No: 99% (189 Votes)
“Never thought we would have to post on our business page about social media bullying!” the post said. “On Monday we posted our evening menu for our new restaurant The London House Bistro. Within minutes several people commented about the fact that nothing on the menu was vegan.
“I apologised politely and professionally that sadly we do not cater for vegans. Had that of been a food intolerance we couldn’t cater for, ordinarily that would have sufficed. However, some nasty people have felt it’s their place and right to criticise this fact. Some comments I may add have subsequently been deleted.”
The owners said these attacks, the worst of which had been deleted, would not change their minds.
“You have to ask yourself, do you think that bullying someone is going to endear them to you?” the post said. “Is it going to make them rethink their decision…maybe I should? NO it does not!”
The owners also explained they had catered to vegans before, but they decided to stop doing so because of many vegans’ “‘holier-than-thou’ attitude.”
“Please, vegans, It is not a given that we should adapt our menu to suit your preference,” the owners wrote. “If you want vegan food, go to a vegan restaurant…which incidentally if I went to one and asked for a steak I wouldn’t get one, nor would I expect to.
“You have chosen your lifestyle, it’s not a medical condition that you’ve been forced to endure through no fault of your own. Your choice does not fit with our style of cooking. We respect your choice, and expect that you respect ours.”
The restaurant said it was “unfair to tar everyone with the same brush,” but it said the decision to stop offering vegan options “was sadly brought about by the militant minority which has subsequently [spoiled] it for the majority.”
While it may be hard for vegans to believe, restaurants have no responsibility to cater to them. This restaurant simply made decisions about its menu based on what it thought was best for its business, and that happened to mean it did not provide vegan options.
The fact that vegans in the comments felt the need to make an issue out of nothing and attack a business for its choices does nothing but prove the owners right regarding their criticisms of vegans in the first place.
