Harvey Nichols to ban foie gras before protests
By Martin Hickman
Published: 03 August 2007

Harvey Nichols, the department store chain that is a favourite with well-heeled foodies and fashionistas, is halting the sale of foie gras in advance of a planned national protest from an animal rights group.

The chain said that for "commercial" reasons it would no longer stock French foie gras after existing supplies ran out in coming weeks.

Animal rights groups welcomed the move, which brings the company in line with others who avoid stocking foie gras, because of the way it is produced.

The group Viva! had been planning to launch nationwide action against Harvey Nichols during the peak Christmas shopping season and had recently informed the store of its intentions.

This summer, protesters from the Bristol-based group have demonstrated outside branches of Harvey Nichols in Manchester and Edinburgh carrying placards with pictures of goslings with the slogan "torture victims". The Manchester protest occurred in the past fortnight.

Harvey Nichols, which has its flagship store in Knightsbridge and branches in Birmingham, Leeds and Dublin, sells 200g tins of foie gras for £10.95 as well as fresh foie gras at its delicatessen counters.

A spokeswoman for the chain said: "We reviewed the foie gras policy in the food market and it's been a commercial decision to stop buying foie gras."

Justin Kerswell, a Viva! campaigner, said: "We are absolutely delightedthat Harvey Nichols are taking this decision. The fact they say sales are dropping I think is indicative of the fact that the British public is going to go foie-gras free."

Producing foie gras in the UK is banned. Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's, Marks & Spencer and Co-op do not stock the food for ethical reasons.