After another good demonstration outside Midsummer House Restaurant in Cambridge on 2 Feb 2008, where campaigners received more support from members of the public, the campaigners have yet more good news to report.

Benjamin Zephaniah is, for the few whom may not know, a radical poet with a strong mainstream audience. Dr. Zephaniah was offered an OBE (officer of the Order of the British Empire) in 2003 but refused to waver in his principles and turned it down publicly in an article for the Guardian newspaper. In the article he explains how the word ‘empire’ reminds him of slavery. However Dr. Zephaniah’s circle of compassion extends beyond humans and encompasses the animal kingdom as well.

Well, after being contacted by a local campaigner Dr. Benjamin Zephaniah has made a statement against Foie Gras and added his voice to calls for Midsummer House to go Foie Gras free. So here it is:

“Foie Gras is cruel and inhumane. Forget the fancy name; put simply it is the enlarged liver of a duck or goose, and it should have no place in a civilised society. The process used to produce this so-called ‘delicacy’ commonly involves a barbaric force-feeding process that causes the animals liver to swell painfully. I call on Midsummer House to stop selling this product immediately”

Poet, Dr Benjamin Zephaniah

Thank you Benjamin and everyone who has supported the campaign, from coming to demos to signing the petition.

If you would like to support the campaign please check out our web site
(  http://www.midsummerhouseshame.makessense.co.uk ) and come on one of our weekly demos every Saturday (unless campaign site states otherwise) at 12 noon Midsummer House, Midsummer Common Cambridge.

Midsummer House Restaurant
Midsummer Common, Cambridge, CB4 1HA
Phone: 01223 369299
Fax: 01223 302672
E-mail:  enquiries@midsummerhouse.co.uk