Bill protests sale of foie gras at Fortnum & Mason's
11/11/2011 16:09 GMT

Posted by lisa

An article in today's Independent (http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2011/11/11/caught-social-the-lowe-down/) says "A good cause for Goodie Claus. Bill Oddie showed up at luxury department store Fortnum & Mason in London last night, campaigning on behalf of Peta against its selling foie gras. The very unkind might say it looks like he’d had one too many eggnogs, but we’re sure it was just a combination of red make-up and a heavy sack. “All I want for Christmas is for Fortnum & Mason to pull foie gras from its shelves, once and for all,”he said. Most chaps are happy to make do with socks."

Peta's blog provides more detail, as well as a photo of Bill in his Santa garb.  From http://blog.peta.org.uk/2011/11/bill-santa-oddie-delivers-bag-of-coal-to-naughty-fortnum-mason/

Bill ‘Santa’ Oddie Delivers Bag of Coal to ‘Naughty’ Fortnum & Mason

Posted by Yvonne at 6:27

Much-loved wildlife expert Bill Oddie made an unexpected appearance at Fortnum & Mason’s Christmas window unveiling today dressed as Santa Claus to call on Fortnum & Mason to be good, for goodness’ sake, and stop selling foie gras! Oddie stunned shoppers as he loudly explained that Fortnum & Mason pays producers in France to force-feed geese until their livers become grossly enlarged so that Fortnum & Mason can sell the “torture in a tin”. Oddie also delivered a bag of coal for Managing Director Beverley Aspinall, to whom he wrote in September after she ignorantly claimed that force-feeding geese was comparable to large birds’ swallowing fish in the wild.

“It’s not just ‘naughty’ for Fortnum & Mason to keep selling a product so cruel that it’s illegal to produce in the UK – it’s shameful”, says Oddie. “All I want for Christmas is for Fortnum & Mason to pull foie gras from its shelves, once and for all.”



To produce foie gras, pipes are shoved down the throats of geese and ducks several times a day. Grain and fat is pumped into the birds’ stomachs until their livers become diseased and swollen. Fortnum & Mason’s main competitors – Selfridges and Harvey Nichols – have both stopped selling foie gras completely.

Oddie is one of a long list of prominent figures – including Sir Roger Moore, Ricky Gervais, the Duchess of Hamilton, Twiggy, Jenny Seagrove, Carley Stenson, Peter Egan and Owain Yeoman – who have appealed to Fortnum & Mason to pull foie gras from its shelves.

Please join Oddie in saying “Ho, ho – NO!” to Fortnum & Mason’s sale of foie gras and e-mail the store today.