Fortnum & Mason Ends Duck Foie Gras Sales, But Needs to Do More

Luxury store Fortnum & Mason (F&M) have announced to PETA that they will no longer sell duck foie gras. This is arguably better than nothing, so thanks to F&M for pulling their finger out and making some changes to their policy. Now they just need to go the rest of the way and remove all foie gras products from their shelves.

No bird, whether a duck, goose or any other bird for that matter, should suffer for the dinner table - foie gras is simply unacceptable. F&M appear to realise that force-feeding is wrong based on this recent decision but after many, many months pursuing the managing director we got this bog-standard reply:

“Thank you for your email regarding the sale of foie gras by Fortnum & Mason. As part of our normal review process for provenance and product quality we have visited our supply base and made a number of changes. Firstly, we have decided to cease the sale of duck foie gras, from intensively reared birds. We have also reviewed our supply base for goose foie gras and now have only two specific French suppliers, whom we have worked with to ensure that the production standards are of the highest levels. We have no plans to further review our foie gras offering.”

A few comments based on this email –

• Firstly, the only non-force fed foie gras we know of comes from Spain. There is no such thing as humane force-feeding. To say their two French suppliers have standards of the highest level isn’t true. Shoving a pipe down a bird’s throat and forcing excessive amounts of fat and grain into the stomach is cruelty – plain and simple, as documented by our friends at Stop Gavage.

• No UK supermarkets sell foie gras. Harvey Nichols removed it from their shelves after hearing from PETA (though they do continue to still serve it in their restaurants). York, Bolton, Norwich and Stockport councils have all voted in favour of a foie gras sales ban.

• The production of foie gras is so cruel it is prohibited in the UK and 14 other countries. If it’s illegal to produce, why should it be sold here?

So it would appear we’re getting there but there is still work to be done. I’ll keep you posted. And if you’d like to help, please contact F&M on:

Beverley Aspinall, Managing Director
Fortnum & Mason plc
181 Piccadilly
London
W1A 1ER
United Kingdom
+44(0)20 7734 8040
+44(0)20 74373278 (fax)
Beverley.aspinall@fortnumandmason.co.uk