Celebrity chef John Mountain has created quite a stir in the culinary world by banning vegans from his renowned restaurant, Fyre. Taking to Fyre's Instagram page, the chef cited "mental health reasons" as the reason for his drastic decision. In an interview with PerthNow, Chef John revealed that the ban was the result of a heated complaint from a vegan customer that became personal. To offset the risk of losing customers, the chef instituted a booking fee.
In a social media post that went viral, Fyre announced the ban, stating, "Sadly all vegans are now banned from Fyre (for mental health reasons). We thank you for your understanding." The post was accompanied by hashtags such as "vegan, not, please go elsewhere, vegan free zone, and no more vegans".
Take A Look Here At The Post:
The incident that led to the ban involved a young girl who questioned the vegan options available at Fyre. Chef John admitted that he initially promised to accommodate her with dishes like gnocchi and vegetables. However, due to a private dinner party taking place the same day, he forgot about her request. The next day, the girl expressed her disappointment with the limited vegan choices through a Facebook message.
Expressing her concerns, the girl wrote, "My only option was the vegetable dish... it was okay but not that filling... and I was shocked to see it was $32. I think it's incredibly important nowadays that restaurants can accommodate everyone and to not be able to have actual plant-based meals shows your shortcomings as a chef." She also shared her desire to see improvements in the menu. This complaint resulted in a flurry of one-star Google reviews overnight, though the restaurant's rating later recovered to 4.3 stars.
Check Out How Netizens Reacted To It:
Chef John Mountain's decision has sparked intense debate and backlash from the vegan community, with many expressing disappointment and questioning his approach to inclusivity.