A caterer has apologised after backlash to an inappropriately named menu item cost them a job.
Screenshots of a menu from The Viva Veggie Van, a plant-based caterer from the West Midlands showing the "Anne Frankfurter" plant-based hotdog were posted on Twitter yesterday, illiciting a fierce backlash online.
A menu was shared last night by a 3rd party vendor who was booked to trade at our brewery tap room this weekend. We did not have sight of the menu before it was published and agree that the name of one of the dishes is totally inappropriate. The trader will not be trading with us
— Brum Brewing Co (@brumbrewery) December 13, 2022
The £7 hot dog, which is served with raw onions, mustard, and relish was due to be served at the Birmingham Brewery Company taproom this weekend, but in a statement, the brewers distanced themselves from the veggie chefs saying: "A menu was shared last night by a 3rd party vendor who was booked to trade at our brewery tap room this weekend.
"We did not have sight of the menu before it was published and agree that the name of one of the dishes is totally inappropriate. The trader will not be trading with us."
The Anne Frankfurter? Really Viva Veggie?!
— Nathan Judah (@NathanJudah) December 13, 2022
I’d think twice before hosting this on your patch @brumbrewery pic.twitter.com/4Rnu4pbK9t
After the picture of the menu was posted, local residents on Twitter voiced their concern about the dish, criticising both the caterers and the brewery for hosting them.
https://twitter.com/JacobAlCol/status/1602621077846462465
A local journalist described the menu item as "vile and senseless" and called on Birmingham brewery to distance themselves from it.
Maria Finn, the owner of viva veggie van told the JC that she didn't mean any offense by the name. She said: "I can’t believe what’s happened, It was just playing with words, something to stand out, this business is me and my daughter.
"We never meant to upset anyone, I’m not a controversial person."
She also attempted to back up the naming of the dish, saying: "Anne Frank was from Germany, from Frankfurt, and she didn’t eat meat."
Finn also hit out at the brewery's reaction saying that she had already ordered food for the three-day event this weekend and the cancellation is leaving her massively out of pocket.
She described the losses as "A massive hit" saying: "This was going to be our first event, I got made redundant during covid and started the business with my daughter.
"We just wanted to do a small event before Christmas, we’ve ordered all our food now and there’s no other festivals this weekend for us to sell at. I'm very disappointed."
Karen Pollock CBE, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust told the JC in a statement: "Anne Frank was a young Jewish girl forced into hiding for two years before being deported to Auschwitz and then Bergen-Belsen where she was murdered.
"To use the name of a Holocaust victim as a marketing ploy will never be appropriate.”
