Pie too sexy for Facebook

A Wellington pie has been deemed too sexy to be advertised on social media website Facebook.

Wellington baker Niels Reinsborg started his company, Crafty Pies, at the start of the year, originally to supply to cafes across the city.

His plans were derailed when the country went into lockdown, but when level 3 was announced, he was able to set up to do contactless delivery, primarily using Facebook to advertise.

Sales soared, and he was selling hundreds of pies a week, until the day he posted a picture of a Cypriot Shepherd’s Pie on Facebook.

‘‘Most of my customers, I would say 80 per cent of my customers were from Facebook.

‘‘That was fine for a couple of weeks until I put a picture of one of my pies on my advertising site.’’

He received a Facebook message explaining the platform could not be used to sell ‘‘adult’’ items, and his account was closed.

‘‘While it’s a very cute pie, I don’t think it is too objectively arousing for the general public.’’

The second explanation given was that Facebook does not allow the sale of adult health items such as weight loss supplements.

While Reinsborg said he does try to make his pies as healthy as possible, pies should be eaten as a treat food. ‘‘They won’t help people lose weight.’’ He said his sales have halved in the weeks since, and most are returning customers, rather than new people coming in through Facebook.

He said he is still waiting to hear from Facebook after appealing to them several times to have the ban lifted.

‘‘I just think it is a computer making a silly judgment, and there is nobody to check it.’’

While the loss of business was not great, Reinsborg said he could see the funny side.

‘‘What constitutes an adult item is clearly in the pie of the beholder.’’

‘‘It seems a bit ridiculous really.’’ While his Facebook account is suspended, people are still able to buy his pies through his website.

A Facebook spokesperson said the account was removed in ‘‘error by our automated tools and has now been restored’’.