A top chef has taken the drastic move to ban vegans from his restaurant after receiving a complaint about his plant-based offering.
Chef John Mountain took to social media earlier this week to declare that people who don’t eat meat and other animal products won’t be catered to at his restaurant Fyre in Connolly in Perth’s north.
“Sadly all vegans are now banned from Fyre (for mental health reasons),” he shared on social media.
“We thank you for your understanding. Xx.”
The ban was reportedly sparked over a fight with a customer over vegan options at the restaurant, with Mountain infuriated to the point of banning all plant-based diners.
Speaking with media outlet PerthNow, Mountain shared that the decision was prompted after a young woman emailed the restaurant asking if there were vegan options.
According to the chef, a subsequent miscommunication between him and his sous chef meant that the vegan diner was left underwhelmed after spending £17 (R400) on a vegetable dish that was, in the disgruntled customer’s words in a message to the restaurant afterwards, “okay but not that filling”.
Mountain sent a message in response which read: “Thanks for your negative review, please feel free to share your sh*tty experience and I look forward to not seeing you again.”
But Mountain on Wednesday told publications that he has no regrets.
“I have nothing against nobody apart from those who want to damage my business,” he said.
“I don't care whether you're green, yellow, or orange, you could be Mexican, I don't give a monkeys.
“You try and damage my business, you come after me, you are going to have the wrath of Johnny Chuffin Mountain against you.”
He also joked that he always knows when a vegan is in his restaurant.
“You always know when you have a vegan in your restaurant because they will tell you 17 times they are vegan before they even step foot in your building,” he said.
Despite sparking outrage for many, he said business has picked up dramatically.
“Things have worked out ridiculously well. I usually do half a dozen people in this beautiful restaurant. I have 35 booked for dinner (on Wednesday night),” he said.
“Thank you so much for your vegans, I can go buy a new farm now and look after my animals beautifully.”
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