Kitchen Garden Forum

Yeah, I buy meat from the butcher or supermarket and fish from the fishmonger. And, as a chef, I have had to kill things occasionally, eg lobster. But I really DO NOT like doing it.

It just occurred to me that I killed about 30 creatures a few minutes ago. Clams, actually. Our fishmonger goes to Billingsgate every Thursday so if you want anything special you just ask on the Wednesday and collect on the Thursday. They do normally sell frozen cooked clams. But I like fresh better and with shellfish fresh means live.

Erk, I've just killed a whole tribe of them. I suppose size matters because it seemed easy enough just to tip them into the boiling liquid, whereas if it had been, say, a lobster I would have had to attack and kill it personally.

I know the obvious answer would be to be a veggie - and I was for several years. Quite strict too. Didn't even eat eggs. But it just didn't suit my lifestyle and my health suffered so I went back to eating fish and meat. Actually I eat very little meat - maybe once or twice a week but I eat a LOT of fish.

Edit: It's easy enough to be a veggie or even a vegan these days but I'm talking about 40 years ago. Also living in countries where vegetarianism was unheard of or thought to be very weird.

We've just aborted five chickens by making a large omelette.

They are already destined for someone's dinner when harvested, plus they have a lot of natural predators as well to negate before that. At least you are experienced & they are dispatched quickly. We used to be able to buy direct off the fisherman's boats, super fresh but now all the fish caught has to go Billingsgate & then back to the fish stall on the quay if they successfully bid for it. Fortunately this does not apply to hobby fishermen who fish off the quay or wee boats so I can still get fresh Bass & other fish in season in the harbour as they sell to the stall. Except any salmon that does the run, they have to go back in with huge fines if caught & during the season the fisheries department are out & about checking.

Have been a veggie since mid 80s after seeing how animals were treat for our food line.

there are loads of farming programs that show animals being grown for food and then being load onto trailer for market and that's it...I think there is a missed opportunity to show the next step in the food chain.

I wonder if those schools that grow poultry from eggs also show what happens when they are ready for dispatching?

Can't catch the pair of foxes trying to take over my back garden.They are on my kill list!!!

Same here snooky, they are destroying everything.