Celebrity chef and best-selling author Rachel Allen has enraged fans after posting a controversial hunting photo on her Facebook page.
The chef, who has over 10,900 Facebook fans, uploaded a photo last week in which she can be seen holding a shotgun in full hunting regalia, while four dead pheasants can be seen behind her, placed atop an Audi vehicle.
The photo, featured above, contains the following caption: ‘Enjoyed a great day’s shooting in North Cork recently where I managed to get a few birds for our St Stephen’s Day lunch. I’m going to make game terrine, the recipe for which is below. Wishing you all a merry Christmas and happy New Year!’
Although the picture received plenty of favourable attention from the chef’s fans after its original posting on December 23, the mood turned ugly a day later when one user, Rachel Phillips, asked: “Rachel, do you not like people making comments on your page, mine have mysteriously disappeared.”
That comment received 13 “Likes” on the site, while the very next comment, from user Neville Sayers, received 18 “Likes” and read: Rachel, I am disgusted that you support the cruel act of inflicting pain and suffering on our fellow animals, it is very sad and disappointing that Ballymaloe House, are supporters of this, i am shocked and very disappointed.”
The Animal Rights Action Network in particular are infuriated by the photo, which was posted prior to a hunt at the Ballymaloe House where Ms Allen teaches cooking courses, a hunt which the group claims broke a commitment which Ballymaloe had made to not use hounds for their annual New Year’s Day hunting tradition.
Since the controversial pheasant photo came to light, Rachel has neither updated her Facebook nor her Twitter profile, though perhaps the fact that the pheasant photo has not been taken down in over a week is a statement in its own right.
