We’ll (Never) Meet Again Unless You Drop Foie Gras

Beloved by British troops for her outdoor concerts during World War II, Dame Vera Lynn now has a whole new flock of fans after penning a letter to Beverley Aspinall, managing director of Fortnum & Mason, asking her to stop the sale of the vile food product foie gras in the store. In the letter, Dame Vera – who has long expressed her affinity for birds in lyrics such as those in the songs “(There’ll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover” and “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square” – explains that foie gras production is so cruel that it’s banned in the UK.

“Britain has many things it can be proud of, and I consider our respect for the welfare of animals to be of them”, writes Dame Vera in the letter. She goes on, “For a department store with such a proud British heritage, it made me sad that you would wish to tarnish it by associating yourself with the force-feeding of animals”.

To produce foie gras, ducks and geese are force-fed by having metal pipes rammed down their throats several times per day, and large quantities of grain and fat are pumped into their stomachs. This cruel practice causes the birds’ livers to become diseased and swell to many times their normal size. The pipes often puncture the birds’ throats, causing many animals to bleed to death. The birds live in a constant state of terror as they await the next assault. Despite the fact that PETA has provided Fortnum & Mason with a wealth of scientific and expert evidence to show how cruel foie gras production is, the company continues to sell the product.

Dame Vera Lynn joins a long list of prominent figures – including Sir Roger Moore, Ricky Gervais, the Duchess of Hamilton, Twiggy, Jenny Seagrove, Carley Stenson, Bill Oddie, Peter Egan and Owain Yeoman – who have appealed to Fortnum & Mason to pull foie gras from its shelves. Join them today and take action!