Reindeer Pate Causes Shock In Food Aisles

Posted by Louise Miles on 19/12/2011

A fine food store has caused outrage by selling a controversial game pate to its customers this Christmas

The pate is currently being sold at UK chain, Harvey Nichols for £15 for 190 grams. The speciality is made from bonafide Swedish reindeer, and the sale of it has caused anger amongst many vegetarian groups.

The tin which holds the meat mentions that it is a 'indulgent winter treat' coming from a 'farm-raised relative of Rudolph'.

This has provoked the group, Vegetarians International Voice for Animals to approach Harvey Nichols and try to ban the product. In a letter to the store, the society wrote: 'I understand that the reindeer meat you sell claims to be from farmed animals, this... raises concerns – as farming methods are likely to cause huge amounts of stress to animals used to relatively free range over wide areas.'

But despite the controversy, the product has still been a Christmas 'sell-out'. Constance Cooper, spokesman for Harvey Nichols told the Daily Mail. “Our online stock has sold out due to the publicity and demand we've received. 'It's a seasonal product and stocks are limited so we will not be restocking prior to Christmas.”