French Restaurant Switches to Plant-Based Menu Due to Animal Welfare Concerns

Concerns about animal welfare have urged Gauthier [goh-thee-ey] Soho, a French fine dining restaurant in London, to transition to a completely vegan menu. Chef and owner Alexis Gauthier made the announcement last June. Aside from pressure from animal rights activists, Gauthier’s personal switch to a vegan diet prompted the decision. The chef also pointed out that more customers are opting for vegan dishes in his restaurant, which used to serve foie gras /ˈfwɑːˈgrɑː/—an expensive dish made of duck or goose liver. The chef explained that the transition will take place within 18 to 24 months. While the restaurant plans to stop making new dishes that use animal products like meat, egg, and butter, Gauthier said that the shift will be done gradually. The restaurant will do so because regular customers may be displeased if their favorite animal-based dishes are suddenly removed from the menu. Currently, 75% of the items in the restaurant’s menu are already plant-based. Animal rights activists are becoming more outspoken in France, a country that has one of the highest rates of meat consumers. Along with concerns about health and industrial farming, animal welfare issues are pushing more French people to consume less meat. In fact, a 2017 study estimated that 30% of French consumers aim to reduce their meat consumption. Meanwhile, butchers and slaughterhouses criticized by activists argued that the vegan lifestyle threatens the French culture. This is because the culture patronizes food that is traditionally heavy on meat ingredients. Despite this, the vegan trend is expected to continue rising.