Media Release

28th November 2012

Fabulous Baker Boys’ “Hobbs House Horror!”

TV stars urged to drop foie-gras

DESPITE CHAMPIONING LOCAL FOOD, TV celebrity Henry Herbert, who is one half of TV’s Fabulous Baker Brothers, has been accused of selling a very un-British cruelty in the form of foie-gras at his Chipping Sodbury butchers.

Foie-gras is typically made from force-feeding ducks and geese so much grain that their livers expand up to ten times their natural size. Production of foie-gras is illegal in the UK as it would break existing animal welfare law.

Ellie Nelson, who lives in Chipping Sodbury, contacted Bristol-based campaigning organisation Viva! after seeing foie-gras for sale in the butchers’ section of the business located directly next door to the bakery operated by his brother, and fellow Fabulous Baker Brother, Tom Herbert. She says: “I was appalled to discover that Hobbs House are supplying foie-gras. They are without conscience and purveyors of the worst form of cruelty in factory farming. I would ask everyone to boycott all outlets retailing this vile product.”

Justin Kerswell, campaigns manager at Viva!, says: “Foie-gras is mostly produced by imprisoning birds in cages so tiny they can’t move, by forcing a pipe down their throats and force feeding them until their livers swell to ten times their natural size. I can’t imagine why anyone would want to eat it - or be involved in its sale. It is quite simply torture in a tin. There is nothing humane about mechanically inducing disease in a bird.

“As a vegan organisation, we are not going to see eye-to-eye with Mr Herbert on many things. However, for most consumers foie-gras is beyond the pale. If he tried to produce foie-gras in the UK he would very probably be arrested, so why does he think it is OK to import it? We are asking Hobbs House to declare a more compassionate Christmas by giving foie-gras the boot from its stores and bistro and make a commitment to not sell it again.”

For more information about Viva!’s campaign against foie-gras, visit www.viva.org.uk/foiegras or call 0117 944 1000.

ENDS

For more information about this media release, call Justin Kerswell on 0117 944 1000 or email justin@viva.org.uk.

Notes to Editors

Hobbs House Bistro in Nailsea have also served foie-gras on their menu: “Ox tail, Foie-Gras & celeriac terrine, pickled Girolles & toast” http://hobbshousebakery.co.uk/files/uploads/Bistro%20menu%2015-17_9_11.pdf

Fabulous Baker Brothers run Hobbs House Bakery and Butchers: http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/Fabulous-Baker-Boys-vie-TV-honours-culinary/story-14314484-detail/story.html

Foie-gras is for sale in the butchery side of the business in Chipping Sodbury. Details sent to Hobbs House of the cruelty involved in its production have had no response.

Foie-gras is tyoicaly produced by force feeding ducks or geese such large amounts of food that their livers swell to up to ten times normal size. A pipe is shoved down the bird’s oesophagus and food is pumped into the stomach. The process is repeated two or three times daily for two to three weeks until the birds develop fatty liver disease. Over 97 per cent of birds used in foie-gras production in France are ducks, most of which are tightly caged during force-feeding. Around 38 million birds are killed for foie-gras each year in France, with around a million dying during the force-feeding process. Britain is a major importer.

Foie-gras is not produced in Britain as the Government has made it clear that its production would contravene existing animal welfare regulations. However, it is legal to import it and sell it in the UK. Britain imports more foie-gras from France than Holland, Germany or Italy. More information here: http://viva.org.uk/campaigns/foiegras/factsheet.html

Viva! has printed around half a million anti-foie-gras leaflets in the past five years, which have been distributed across the UK. The group has persuaded supermarket chain Lidl and wholesalers Makro to remove foie-gras from sale. House of Fraser also bowed to public pressure and is now completely foie-gras free while many independent restaurants across the UK have permanently removed the product from sale. In 2004, Viva! successfully campaigned in California for legislation outlawing the production and sale of foie-gras – which came into effect in 2012.