Vegan restaurant lifts animal fat notes ban
A VEGAN restaurant has lifted its ban on notes containing animal fat after the introduction of the new £10 note.
Rachael Phoenix, the owner of Voltaire in Bangor, last year announced she was refusing to accept the new £5 notes as they contain tallow, a type of animal fat.
This was well received by customers but this month saw the new tenner launched, which also includes animal fat.
Rachael said that they have now decided to lift the ban on both notes. She said they had made their point and did not want to cause “confusion or embarrassment” to their customers.
She explained their position on Facebook: “So, some of you will remember our protest on accepting the new £5 note. We felt that this was necessary and appropriate for us to object, considering we run a vegan business.
“We had overwhelming support from customers which we would like to give a huge thank-you for.
“Most people understood that our decision was based on our love for animals and also an objection to our banks, government, etc, making these poor choices without considering not only vegans and vegetarians but also many religious groups too.”
The animal fat revelation caused anger with many vegans and vegetarians, with a petition started to get the Bank of England(BoE) to make changes to the note.
The BoE said that while they recognise the concerns raised they will not change the new fiver and would issue the £10 polymer note as planned.
They will, though, consult with the public on the issue before future production runs.
“We all have to stand up for what we believe otherwise things either stay the same or get worse,” said Rachael.
“Unfortunately animal products are in so many of our everyday items, some of which seem very ridiculous and unnecessary. It would be nice to think that one day products will have a vegan stamp on so that everyone can make an easy decision to better the environment, and hopefully end a lot of unnecessary suffering.
“The new £10 is now in circulation so we have come to the decision to accept the notes.
“We are glad we made a stand and hope that our voice contributed in someway to the choices our authorities make in the future.”