Environment

PETA targets Jamie Oliver's restaurant over British Pork

by Amy Judd | March 18, 2009 at 09:02 am

1727 views | 32 Recommendations | 7 comments

Animal rights group PETA protested earlier today outside Jamie Oliver's London restaurant 'Fifteen', as they said the celebrity chef's encouragement of people to buy British pork rather than cheaper pork is still the wrong message to be sending out. PETA wants Oliver to suggest that going vegetarian is the best way to go.

Mr Oliver's spokesman said the chef was a "big supporter" of animal welfare, while his London restaurant Fifteen served pork products from "the happiest pigs you can get".

"They do seem to be protesting against somebody who is trying to help the situation," he said.

"It's a slightly odd place for them to be protesting but nonetheless they are welcome to do that. My main concern was that they would get cold."

He added: "In the programme we never said that the British pig farming industry is completely whiter than white, we did a very balanced programme."

The protestors hung a banner reading 'Unhappy Mother's Day' and two pregnant women crouched in crates to show how pregnant sows have to live before they give birth. The group wants people to avoid meat at this time of year as it's a time for mothers.
Jamie Oliver did a programme for Channel 4 called 'Save Our Bacon', in which he went to factory pig farms in Europe and looked at how animals were treated, especially how pregnant sows were treated.
These conditions are banned in Britain but the sows can be moved to stalls similar to this a week before they give birth. They then remain in these crates for up to work weeks after.
PETA wants to end these conditions, and wants Jamie Oliver to back that.

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sara star

at 13:00 on March 18th, 2009

We have got to start treating our animals more humanely. I guess this gets the point across.

Fred Miller

at 13:45 on March 18th, 2009

I felt bad for the ladies because of the cold weather but I guess some volunteers are totally committed.

Paschen

at 17:59 on March 18th, 2009

Some Modern Farming practices such has Mass Pigs holdings facilities, would make most people be vegetarian if they ever went to visit one for them self.

Fred Miller

at 18:15 on March 18th, 2009

Uwe, I know what you mean. There was a Pork market near my childhood home but it was a challenge to get there because during the rainy season the whole place was just one large floating mess of sewage where the pigs freely ruled. There were no cages and the area was basically a slum, but those were some fat, over-fed pigs, I don't know how.