Foie gras is off the menu at Compass Group

Compass Group has bowed to pressure from animal rights campaigners and removed foie gras from its menus.

The contract caterer said that the controversial delicacy was only used in a small number of its sites, but following talks with animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), Compass has taken foie gras off its approved product list (APL).

Group managing director for Compass' UK and Ireland business, Ian Sarson, said he was proud of the company's decision. "Ethically we feel strongly that we should not be sourcing this product and this has been backed up by the support we've received across the organisation," he added.

The move was also welcomed by the caterer's executive chef Nick Vadis, who said there was no need for foie gras to feature on any of the Compass menus.

"As chefs, we are now really fortunate to have an amazing array of outstanding ingredients to choose from when developing our menus," he said.

"With this variety of produce now available to us, I don't believe there is a need to put foie gras on our menus given how it is produced, and I am very pleased that Compass has decided to remove it from its APL."

Compass Group follows in the footsteps of fellow contract caterer Aramark and online grocery retailer Ocado, which have both implemented policies against selling foie gras in recent months.

PETA UK associate director Mimi Bekhechi said: "We're delighted that Compass Group has found its 'moral compass' and agrees that serving up the grotesquely enlarged livers of force-fed ducks and geese is indefensible."

By Janie Manzoori-Stamford

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