A top chef in Australia has banned all vegans from his restaurant after a complaint about a plant-based meal sent him over the edge.
Celebrity chef John Mountain is the owner of Fyre, a restaurant in Peth's northern suburbs.
The fancy-pants restaurant serves up a range of dishes, including eye fillet steaks, delectable seafood and hearty risottos.
But one type of food that will no longer be featured on the menu is the plant-based variety.
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The chef shared a post on the restaurant's Facebook page on June 20, writing: "Sadly all vegans are now banned from Fyre (for mental health reasons). We thank you for your understanding.”
Explaining the divisive decision, Mountain revealed he'd received a message from a vegan prior to their arrival at the restaurant and assured them he could accommodate them with vegetables and gnocchi.
However, on the day the customer was due to arrive, the top chef was occupied with a private function he'd forgotten he'd had to cater for.
As a result, he couldn't to whip up something fresh and fancy for the vegan customer, who complained the following day.
Mountain said the customer claimed she was served an unsatisfactory vegetarian meal for AUD$32 (£17).
In a complaint sent via direct message, the customer wrote: “My only option was the vegetable dish… it was okay but not that filling… and I was shocked to see it was $32.
“I think it’s incredibly important nowadays that restaurants can accommodate everyone and to not be able to have actual plant-based meals shows your shortcomings as a chef.
“I hope to see some improvements in your menu as I have lived in Connolly for quite some time and have seen many restaurants come and go from that building and none of them last.
“If you don’t get with the times, I don’t hold out faith that your restaurant will be the one that does.”
“I think it’s incredibly important nowadays that restaurants can accommodate everyone and to not be able to have actual plant-based meals shows your shortcomings as a chef."
Mountain admitted he had fallen well short of his promise to the vegan customer.
However, he claimed her complaint had become a personal one.
Speaking to 7News, the chef lashed out at plant-based eaters.
"F**k vegans - I’m done with them," he said.
"I once wrote and sold a book called Pig which had pork recipes. People know what they’re getting from me.
"I understand where vegans are coming from but my job is to make food taste as good as I can and I can’t always cater to everybody’s dietary requirements."
Topics: Food And Drink, Vegan, Vegetarian, Australia
Rachel Lang