Duchess Declares Foie Gras Production ‘Truly Awful’
The Dowager Duchess of Hamilton has just written to Fortnum & Mason boss Ewan Venters on behalf of PETA to express her strong disapproval of the fact that the store still profits from the torture of ducks. She joins illustrious personalities, including Prince Charles and his niece, Emma Parker Bowles, in condemning foie gras, which is produced by cruelly force-feeding birds until their livers become diseased.
The Duchess writes to Fife-born Venters as one Scot to another: “I have read that you are an extremely patriotic chap, so I am at a loss to understand how you can so vociferously defend the fact that Fortnum & Mason is paying workers overseas to abuse birds in ways that are quite rightly illegal in Britain”. 
Lady Hamilton had hoped to discuss this issue in person by inviting Venters to join her for a cup of tea in Edinburgh and have a civilised conversation about this most uncivilised of foodstuffs. However, Fortnum’s CEO continues to be unresponsive to public opinion and has ignored appeals from figures such as Ralph Fiennes, Sir Roger Moore and Zac Goldsmith MP to remove foie gras from Fortnum’s shelves – proving that the so-called “Queen’s Grocer” is truly out of touch with British values and what the British people want.
We need to make sure that Fortnum & Mason is still getting the message loud and clear that foie gras doesn’t belong on British shelves. Please join Lady Hamilton in letting Venters know that foie gras only tarnishes Fortnum & Mason’s reputation – and causes unthinkable suffering to thousands of animals.
