Foie Gras

As an example the reputable French Foie Gras industry is a far cry from the hideous scenes promulgated by the media.  As in all industries the Foie Gras Industry attracts it’s fair share of disreputables.

We want to ensure that products derived from animals are quality products that are ethically produced. (Our stand on SASSI will help attest to our concerns)

To this end we attach research on the Mallard ducks used for farming, their physiology and the high standards the premium producers stand for. It makes for very interesting reading.

I attach some reading for your research:

• www.foiegras-factsandtruth.com (Published by the French Federation of Foie Gras Producers)

• www.hudsonvalleyfoiegras.com (A producer in the USA who has written a book on the extensive History of Foie Gras)

• www.rougie.

The French production of Foie Gras is at the very highest standard.

In order to derive a top-quality Foie Gras, the health & well-being of the duck is vital.
Thus it is in the best interests of the company to ensure that the live birds are looked after in the best way possible.

The Animal Protection Act in South Africa does not allow for Force Feeding of any nature.
French law seems to differ from ours, however we live and work in SA and believe that we need to follow our local legislation and not serve Foie Gras on our menus. (Waiting for the text to refer to)

We continue with our Research.

• Finding more Research from ornithological experts.

• Engaging with Christine Kuch of the SPCA.

• Engaging with La Rougie - the premium producer of Foie Gras in France.

• Interviewing the SA importer in August to personally to learn more.

As we discover more interesting facts on this topic we will publish to the Website.

Everyone has to strive to do their bit to help the environment. Each week we recycle more than 8 black trolley bins of glass that are collected by Wastebank.

We also proudly support a small worm farm - we take the vegetable off cuts and ground coffee which we feed to our worms. The fertilizer and worm 'tea' that we get from our worms is used to fertilize our potted herb garden.

For more information on how to start your own worm farm click here: http://www.worm-farm.co.za

We are proud to be part of The Southern African Sustainable Seafood Initiative  which is a WWF initiative that began in 2004. The initiative aims to inform and educate everyone on the seafood trade. SASSI has three primary objectives:

• promote voluntary compliance of the law
• shift consumer demand from over-exploited species to more sustainable ones
• create awareness around marine conservation issues

To aid in transparency in what we serve that Bistro please review the list below:

• Black Tiger Prawns or Panneaus Mododon - are cultivated and originate from India
• Crayfish Tails or Jasus Llandi - are caught from the wild (Trap Fishing which is limited to Crayfish) off the coasts of South Africa