An award-winning restaurant has arrived at ‘holier-than-thou’ vegan customers after it was criticized for its new menu, which does not include main courses suitable for them.
The kitchen at London House on the Isle of Wight took to social media to defend itself against “nasty” and “bullying” vegans outraged by their decision to refuse to take their diet into account.
It told its critics: ‘If you want to eat vegan, go to a vegan restaurant’.
The popular high street restaurant in Ventnor said that although it used to serve some vegan food, they decided to close because of a ‘militant minority’.
Vegans do not eat animal-derived foods and usually do not use animal products at all.
The backlash from the island’s vegan community came after the restaurant and bistro recently announced the Friday and Saturday evening menu on their Facebook page for their new London House Bistro restaurant.
Backlash: The Kitchen @ London House on the Isle of Wight has been criticized after the unveiling of a new menu that does not include main courses for customers following a vegan diet
The menu features main courses including beef short rib, duck leg confit cassoulet, sea bass – and the only vegetarian option, fig pie with goat cheese.
However, some criticized the restaurant for not having a vegan main course.
One user commented: ‘No vegan entrees!!’ to which the restaurant replied ‘No!’, while another wrote ‘sorry menu’.
After defending their new menu choices, another user replied that they were “trying your best to play the victim here.”
The restaurant took to social media to defend its decision to not include vegan dishes
The restaurant is known for its range of homemade pastries, quiches, cakes and scones
But others supported the restaurant’s decision, with one user telling disgruntled vegans: ‘Nice to see vegetarian'[s] cared for rather than lumped together with the bland vegan crap that some list” and another writes, “Can’t wait to come visit”.
Just three days after their post announced the menu, The Kitchen at London House wrote a second post complaining about the “bullying” comments they were receiving and explaining why they had stopped catering for “holier-than-thou” vegans.
The message read: ‘I have politely and professionally apologized that unfortunately we do not serve vegans.
‘If that had been a food intolerance that we could not have met, that would normally have been enough.
‘But some annoying people feel it is their place and right to criticize this fact.
‘Do you think bullying someone will endear you? Will it make them reconsider their decision *maybe I should? No it doesn’t!
‘We have taken vegans into account in the past. Everything from Vegan cream tea even had special Vegan bacon made so they could enjoy BLT’s among other things.
‘We stopped. Why? Because we were tired of the arrogant, holier-than-thou attitude.
“Please, vegans, it’s not a given that we have to adjust our menu to your preference.
“If you want to eat vegan, go to a vegan restaurant—which, incidentally, if I went to one and asked for a steak, I wouldn’t get one, and I wouldn’t expect it.
“You chose your lifestyle, it’s not a medical condition that you endured through no fault of your own.
‘Your choice does not match our cooking style. We respect your choice and expect you to respect ours.
“We know it’s unfair to brush everyone with the same brush. Our decision to stop [catering] for vegans was unfortunately created a few years ago by the militant minority who subsequently ruined it for the majority.’
Owner Sally Cooper, pictured with former footballer Glen Hoddle, said she stopped catering to vegan customers after a ‘militant minority’ abused her staff
Bistro owner Sally Cooper – who wrote the Facebook post – said today she has made the decision to stop serving vegans after staff were abused.
Before the pandemic, the cafe served vegan cream tea and vegan bacon, she said. But customers started complaining that vegan products were kept in the same refrigerated display cases as meat.
“I’d say wait a minute,” she said. “They looked straight at us. We told them what vegan options we could offer them and they said it was disgusting.”
Ms Cooper, 60, said her growing irritation with the “militant minority” led her to decide not to offer a vegan option on the bistro menu.
“It’s a small kitchen,” she said. ‘We produce tasty, home-cooked food. We don’t want to cook plant burgers, legumes and beans. It’s not our food.’
She said that since her posting she had received a call to the store from a man who had called her a “disgusting, horrible woman.” However, the overwhelming response was supportive, she said.
The London House Bistro’s evening menu, which is served from 6pm on Fridays and Saturdays, will be launched on Friday.
Known for its homemade pastries, quiches, cakes and scones, the restaurant has won awards for its artisan breads in the past, and is also famous for its homemade giant sausage rolls.
According to a YouGov survey conducted in January, about two percent of the population consider themselves vegan, and five to seven percent are vegetarian, reports LBC.