“We’ve all seen the documentaries on Netflix about industrial farming with the cows on conveyors belts sliding into grinders. We weren’t,” she says. The Antlers Restaurant, Ithaca: See 219 unbiased reviews of The Antlers Restaurant, rated 4.5 of 5 on Tripadvisor and ranked #18 of 231 restaurants in Ithaca. Incorporated in 1897, Long Beach lies in Southern California, more precisely in the southern part of Los Angeles County. The demonstration outside Antler Kitchen and Bar on Dundas St. W. Friday evening, was the fourth time the group had held a protest at that location. I am a student with a limited budget and I live in an urban area where most food is stockpiled in a supermarket. Words like ‘force-feeding’, they latch on to these things because they sound more cruel.”. Activists began staging weekly protests, … 'Shock' According to Ugar: "We were in shock. This past weekend, animal rights activists staged their sixth or seventh protest outside Toronto restaurant Antler Kitchen & Bar, which serves game meat such as venison and wild boar. "Meat is murder" is catchier, true, and sends a strong, clear message. A charter city, Long Beach is the 7th most populous city in California.. The restaurant has “received phone calls, emails, and even donations from people across the city” and heard from people in the hospitality industry around the world. The action outside Antler was comprised of passionate vegan advocates from DxE, who chose the restaurant as the site for their protest because of the restaurant’s marketing, which heavily promotes what DxE and others term the “humane lie”. “I’m going to have my own protest.” The feud began late last year when an Antler staffer put out a playful chalkboard sign in front of the restaurant with the message “Venison is the new kale.” The rest of the time the ducks are looked after and fed every day by the same person. Veganism needs to be more than its current face of economic privilege, nonsensical protest, rigidity and judgment. In her view, there’s no such thing as ethically farmed meat. David Menzies of The Rebel.Media reports: Toronto’s Antler Kitchen & Bar has received rave reviews since it opened. They target these places because it has more of an impact. By clicking on an affiliate link, you accept that third-party cookies will be set. Hunter’s counter-protest was quickly picked up by Canadian and international news outlets and has sparked a food debate in the country. Chef Michael Hunter carves up a deer leg in the window of Toronto's Antler restaurant as animal rights activists protest outside. #Toronto restaurant shocks vegans protesting meat https://t.co/CY0zU0a1By pic.twitter.com/XmT4adJZWT. In response, activists keep coming back to Antler carrying signs that say things like "Take death off the dinner table," "Don't buy while they die" and "Murder.". Comments are welcome while open. He says: “It’s business as usual at Antler.”. Being a vegan consumer means that I am voting for less mass meat production. There is no humane killing. She says it wasn’t in her interest to attack a small businessman but to educate the public and help redefine what restaurants like Antler serve. For many Canadians, meat is the centre of the dinner plate, the key ingredient in the recipe your grandmother passed down to you and perhaps even the result of a yearly hunting trip. These restaurants remain within the exploitative bubble of human exceptionalism,” says Alex Lockwood, a senior lecturer at the University of Sunderland who specializes in veganism and animal ethics and is himself a vegan. Santon points out that even foie gras, widely considered the most cruelly produced meat product, can be more ethical than its reputation suggests. “The idea is not benign,” she says. The animal rights activists were campaigning outside a restaurant in Toronto when the incident took place. To encourage thoughtful and respectful conversations, first and last names will appear with each submission to CBC/Radio-Canada's online communities (except in children and youth-oriented communities). And, reservations are up at Antler. I see conscious consumption as a way to hack the food system. Audience Relations, CBC P.O. More information. Jen Agg, owner of the Hoof and author of the acclaimed memoir I Hear She’s a Real Bitch, says that activists target foie gras and restaurants that serve it “for the shock value”. makes a purchase. Marni Ugar, the activist who planned the original protest, insists the whole incident has been sensationalized by media that saw outraged vegans as irresistible fodder for news. Food is culture and history, daily ritual and habit, it indicates concepts of class and belonging, it connects us to the earth and other living beings. “I go to vigils at slaughterhouses,” Ugar says. Vegan protesters return to restaurant where owner cut, ate deer meat in front of them, More than half of Canada's vegetarians and, CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices. “I’ve seen so much worse. We reserve the right to close comments at any time. Local vegan animal activists simply couldn’t let Antler continue to serve meat and foie gras, so they planned a protest for Friday on Facebook. Some people choose to interact with the food system differently; they have the means to buy their food directly from producers, to witness and understand what they are voting for. This article contains affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if a reader clicks through and It’s more ethical than most other meats.”. Box 500 Station A Toronto, ON Canada, M5W 1E6. Marin Ugar, a vegan protester in Toronto. As Ugar keeps up protests against Antler, Hunter says the restaurant will continue with its “inspired regional cuisine we have always wished to celebrate with the world”. 1 of 25. Food is more than just what fuels you. A group of animal rights activists who protested outside of a restaurant known for serving game meat said they were shocked when they say the co-owner came out and carved up an animal leg in front of them. But that's not a reasonable ask. While they are force-fed, it’s only for two seconds per day, over the last 10 to 12 days of their lives – a total of two minutes after 12 weeks of free-range living. If vegan activists protested against her establishment, Agg wouldn’t engage with them. The vegans planned their protest for the middle of the restaurant’s busy dinnertime shift. In fact, traditional vegan propaganda often invites defiance, with people who are tired of being told their diets are wrong responding by threatening to increase their meat consumption. About Antler. Comments on this story are moderated according to our Submission Guidelines. Photo by Marni Jill … Antler is a game-themed restaurant … Long Beach is a city in the U.S. state of California located within the Los Angeles metropolitan area.It is the 43rd most populous city in the United States, with a population of 462,257 in 2010. Protesting an animal rights protest, a chef and co-owner at Antler Kitchen & Bar in Toronto began butchering a raw deer leg with a sharp knife in the restaurant's window. n 27 March, Michael Hunter stepped out of the kitchen at Antler Kitchen and Bar, the downtown Toronto restaurant which he co-owns, wearing an apron and wielding the hind leg of a deer and a carving knife. In the beginning, Ugar’s objective was to sit down with Hunter and make the case for veganism, hoping to persuade him to remove items such as foie gras from his menu and expand the options to include vegetarian and vegan alternatives. If I must participate in the food system, I will do so in a way that my footprint is the lightest. Being a conscious consumer means recognizing that our dollars are votes, and every time we choose to buy something we are choosing to support that product. But it is not necessarily a message that motivates people to cut out animal products from their diet. Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem. The Black Hoof, one of the city’s most esteemed restaurants, serves many of the kinds of foods that would offend an indignant activist – beef tongue, horse tartare, and of course, foie gras. The protests have resulted in huge promotion for the restaurant, and a bit of a stain on the societal perception of vegans. Santon’s own knowledge of the restaurant’s meat supply runs deep: he not only knows the names of his pig farmers, he knows the names of the pigs. The game-focused restaurant was the site of a recent protest during which co-owner and head chef Michael Hunter butchered a … For James Santon, the Hoof’s head chef, the major ethical issue when it comes to animal consumption is one of knowledge versus ignorance. But if you source your meat ethically – if you have a deep relationship with your food, if you know where it’s coming from, you know who raised it, and you know what it’s been fed and how its life has been – it’s more than okay.”. On 27 March, Michael Hunter stepped out of the kitchen at Antler Kitchen and Bar, the downtown Toronto restaurant which he co-owns, wearing an apron and wielding the hind leg of a deer and a carving knife. Saturday's protest was reportedly the fifth outside Antler Kitchen & Bar, a restaurant that serves local and seasonal food. To Canada’s most urbane city comes a restaurant with a menu that is rural to its roots. Vegans are free to protest peacefully outside. A now-infamous group of animal rights activists say they will continue to protest Toronto's Antler restaurant every single week until its owner agrees to place this message in … The event description for this latest protest bragged that during the last protest, the restaurant had their ‘first ever’ “vegan menu board.” “Everyone thinks the vegans were freaking out. “Veganism and Antler offer just two different ways to hack our food system, for people to feel more connected and informed about what they eat. “If a place serves heart or sweetbreads or foie, those things will click with people totally fine with eating hamburgers. But given the response to Hunter’s counter-protest, her goal now, she says, is to use the media attention to promote veganism. The restaurant highlights seasonal, local and wild foods, and steers clear of factory farming. “A group of protesters threatened that business, and my response, like any other business owner, was to defend it.”. At the front window, Hunter, a chef, had improvised a makeshift butcher’s table – a cherry-coloured cutting board atop a table ordinarily reserved for diners. Pseudonyms will no longer be permitted. Chefs say they source animal products with care – but opponents argue there’s no such thing as ethical meat. Animal rights activists were horrified this weekend when the co-owner of a Dundas West restaurant they'd been protesting for weeks staged what appeared to … Protestors organized a series of events, during which they would stand outside the restaurant holding placards . “The owner, a hunter, is smiling,” scoffed Len Goldberg, one of the activists, as he filmed the action and broadcast it live to his Facebook page. People are vegan for a multitude of reasons, but the top three tend to be about dietary health, environmental impact, and of course, concern for animal welfare. Then, cool and methodical, Hunter proceeded to slice up the slab of meat right in front of the dozen or so vegan activists protesting outside. This column is part of CBC's Opinion section. Antler Restaurant & Bar co-owner and chef Michael Hunter carves a deer leg in the window of his restaurant during an animal-rights protest in Toronto on March 23. The deer, at least, was no longer suffering.”. Chickens and cows en route to slaughter, missing limbs, alive. In general, it is about recognizing the connection between the way we consume and the effects it has on us and the world around us: conscious consumption. The menu includes venison, wild boar, duck and rabbit. All our journalism is independent and is in no way influenced by any advertiser or commercial initiative. “They’re raised much more ethically than any chicken. The restaurant - Antler Kitchen & Bar, in the city's west end - is known for serving wild boar, venison, bison, and duck. Hunter felt he had no choice but to respond to the activists that March evening. In regards to doing the least harm for animals, it is better to have a lot of conscious consumers than just a few vegans. One of the activists' recent protests garnered international attention after the restaurant's owner carved and ate a deer leg in the window, in defiance of the protesters. Order food online at Antler Kitchen and Bar, Toronto with Tripadvisor: See 205 unbiased reviews of Antler Kitchen and Bar, ranked #14 on Tripadvisor among 8,497 restaurants in Toronto. The considerations of restaurants like Antler and the Hoof, which take pains to source ethically farmed animals, mean little to the animal rights activist who takes an absolutist view. She spends her days taking care of a few energetic kids, working at the local farmers market and thinking a lot about food systems justice. Yet it is unapproachable when it doesn't acknowledge the restraints people face in trying to change their consumption, and it is nonsensical when it positions itself in opposition to small-scale food production that promotes community and a vibrant local economy. As someone who has eaten vegan for most of the last decade, I'm convinced that the message vegans and vegetarians need to promote nowadays is less "meat is murder" than "consume more consciously.". But Chef Hunter (yes that’s his name) also has the right to carve a deer windowside in his own restaurant. They are not one and the same, but they definitely are not enemies. Vegan activists tearfully protest as pigs head to slaughter – in pictures. In December, Antler caught the attention of vegan activists when an employee scribbled “Venison is the new kale” on an outdoor sandwich board. The restaurant, named Antler, specializes in “local seasonal and wild foods” including boar, duck, and deer, which is why it drew the ire of animal rights activists. When the protests began affecting business, Hunter retaliated by carving up the deer leg. Hunter knew his actions might have consequences, but he says he “could not have imagined the level of support” he has gotten for taking a stand. “That’s not ethical.”But other vegans see targeting Antler as counterproductive. Veganism should be supportive of whichever way one chooses to hack the food system. “I don’t think it would make sense to have a conversation with someone who fundamentally thinks we should be a vegan restaurant,” she says. WALLACE: No meat in protests against Antler restaurant Back to video. Owned by Chef Michael Hunter : @thehunterchef, and Jody Shapiro : @jodyagram, Antler aims to celebrate the wild culinary delights of Canada.. Red Seal Executive Chef Michael Hunter has shaped Antler around an authentic creation of his food, cooking style and philosophy. The Antler Protest. One of the activists' recent protests garnered international attention after the restaurant's owner carved and ate a deer leg in the window, in defiance of the protesters. When we buy organic apples, we are voting for a world with more organic apples. Vegan protesters gather outside of the Antler restaurant in Toronto. Sound familiar? Veganism and Antler offer just two different ways to hack our food system, for people to feel more connected and informed about what they eat. Its fare – wild boar minced venison, bison steak and duck-heart yakitori – is designed to appeal to food-conscious carnivores. It was during the fourth protest that Antler Chef Michael Hunter brought out the deer leg and started to carve it up on a table directly in front of the campaigners. Antler’s owner, Michael Hunter, responded to one protest by carving up, and then eating, a deer leg at the front window in front of the protesters. A protest outside of a Toronto restaurant has been gaining increasing attention online after activists say the owner brought out an animal leg, carved it … Ugar, initially provoked by the kale comment, says she decided to target Antler because it’s in her neighborhood and she saw it as a viable opportunity for dialogue. Please note that CBC does not endorse the opinions expressed in comments. The vegans planned their protest for the middle of the restaurant's busy dinnertime shift. “The owner of the restaurant is a hunter, so we certainly have the pro-gun Americans really angry at us, and anger because people get defensive if they think they are being attacked about eating animals.” Saturday’s protest was reportedly the fifth outside Antler Kitchen & Bar, a restaurant that serves local and seasonal food. They are not one and the same, but they definitely are not enemies,” writes Sarah Bond on CBC, arguing that the protests have tainted the perception of veganism and simply given Antler a promotional boost. Owner of Toronto, Canada’s meat restaurant Antler Kitchen & Bar turns animal rights protest into free advertising for his restaurant. In December, Antler caught the attention of vegan activists when an employee scribbled “ Venison is the new kale ” on an outdoor sandwich board. Same goes for factory-farmed chicken. “He’s rejoicing in the dismembering of an animal!” Goldberg’s video – posted under the title “RESTAURANT OWNER TAUNTS US by DISMEMBERING a DEER’S LEG in VIEW of OUR PROTEST” – swiftly went viral. It may be "more vegan" to buy soy-beef than it is to be a paying customer at Antler, but I can't say for sure that it is consuming more consciously. “No animal wants to die,” she says. It is a priority for CBC to create a website that is accessible to all Canadians including people with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive challenges. The message raised the ire of local vegan activist and animal lover Marni Ugar, who organized a small protest out front, with participants carrying signs with slogans like, "Animals are not ours to use," "Killing and eating animals is horrifying, please stop," and "speciesism = discrimination = injustice” as well as a massive black banner with the word "MURDER" in bright pink letters—a word that … Activists began staging weekly protests, holding signs saying: “Take Death Off the Dinner Table” and “Your Food Had a Face”. Last modified on Thu 9 Aug 2018 07.11 EDT. On behalf of the many somewhat quieter vegans and vegetarians in this country, I'll say this: not all of us stand behind this type of protesting. Antler is one of my fave restaurants. It needs a rebranding. Marni Ugar organized a protest on Friday, outside of the restaurant Antler Kitchen & Bar, located in the city’s west end. Businesses such as Antler — which says it uses locally foraged ingredients and ethically farmed meats — vote for meat production and procurement that rejects factory farming. Ugar says she and her fellow activists were not as appalled as a number of local headlines made them out to be. The message we seem to get from vegan activists we see on Twitter or in the news is that everyone should be vegan. We can't simply pressure people into abandoning all of those things. More than half of Canada's vegetarians and vegans under 35 years of age, survey finds. Fed-up with the seemingly endless protests of the animal rights activists outside his restaurant, Hunter decided to let them know exactly what he thought about their complaints. Sarah Bond is a soon-to-be graduate of the University of British Columbia where she studied Global Resource Systems. Yelp photos show Toronto Antler Kitchen & Bar. For more information about this section, please read this editor's blog and our FAQ. The Hoof gets its foie from a farm in Quebec called Rogue River, where, Santon says, “they treat their ducks like gold”. It was their fourth such protest outside of Antler. My own diet is rooted in concern for animals and the environment, but it also encompasses concern for what our future food system will look like. In fact, I find it counterproductive. She and her fellow activists were campaigning outside a restaurant with a menu that is rural its! With the cows on conveyors belts sliding into grinders has the right to close at... Protestors organized a series of events, during which they would stand outside the restaurant highlights seasonal local. Any advertiser or commercial initiative and international news outlets and has sparked a food debate in the Southern part Los. 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