Top Boston Chefs Rally Behind Animal Welfare Bill
Chef Jim Solomon of The Fireplace Restaurant. Photo provided
In May, the MSPCA, the Humane Society of the United States, and elected officials hosted a “Pups for Pigs” rally in support of Bill S.2232, which would prohibit the use of “gestation crates” for pigs, “veal crates” for calves, and “battery cages” for egg-laying hens, in the Commonwealth.
Now, some of Massachusetts’ leading chefs are also raising awareness of the farm animal cruelty bill, filed by state senators Bob Hedlund and Jason Lewis. Tiffani Faison (Sweet Cheeks), Jeremy Sewall (Eastern Standard, Row 34), Michael Leviton (Lumiere), Jamie Bissonnette (Coppa, Toro), and eight others have released a letter urging lawmakers to ban the practice of battery cages and other extreme forms of animal confinement.
“Our customers care deeply about where their food comes from,” the chefs wrote. “In particular, they want to know that their food is safe and that the animals were raised with decency.”
This morning at 11 a.m., executive chef Jim Solomon, of The Fireplace Restaurant in Brookline, hand-delivered the letter to Senate offices. Dressed in his chef whites, Solomon also provided cage-free egg treats to legislators and staff members, in order to showcase the culinary community’s collective support behind animal welfare legislation.
The bill is currently awaiting action before the Senate Ways and Means committee. Similar prohibitions have already been enacted in several states, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Ohio, and Oregon.
Below is a copy of the letter:
