Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant brands Animal Rebellion protesters as ‘disrespectful’

The activists occupied Restaurant Gordon Ramsay

Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant has hit back at climate change protesters who occupied the Michelin-starred establishment over the weekend.

Restaurant Gordon Ramsay was forced to close after a group of protesters from Animal Rebellion sat at reserved tables with fake menus and refused to leave.

Dressed in smart casual clothing, the activists held mock menus that outlined the environmental costs of items served on the restaurant’s real menu, including steak and veal.

A spokesperson for Restaurant Gordon Ramsay said: “Everyone is entitled to their opinions and beliefs.

“However, to force your way into a restaurant, disturbing hard-working staff going about their jobs and ruining the evening of guests who have waited months for their reservations is incredibly inappropriate and deeply disrespectful.”

Metropolitan Police confirmed that they were called to the venue but that no arrests were made.

A spokesperson for the force said: “Police were called to a restaurant in Royal Hospital Road, SW3, shortly before 18.30hrs on Saturday, 19 November to reports of a group of protesters refusing to leave the premises.

“Officers attended. The restaurant was closed and the protesters left. There were no arrests.”

Animal Rebellion said in a statement that they are campaigning for a plant-based food system and the creation of a mass-rewilding programme.

Lucia Alexander said in a statement provided by the group that Restaurant Gordon Ramsay was the “perfect example” of inequality in the UK.

“Whilst Gordon Ramsay serves food costing a minimum of £155 per person, more than two million people are relying on food banks in this cost of living crisis,” she continued.

Handout photo issued by Animal Rebellion of supporters of Animal Rebellion who have occupied Gordon Ramsay's three-star Michelin restaurant in Chelsea (PA)

“Instead of restaurants making colossal profits at the expense of animals, workers and our climate, we need to feed everyone by supporting farmers and fishing communities in a transition to a plant-based food system.”

Animal Rebellion says that such a system “required 75 per cent less farmland to grow food” and will allow “millions of additional people” to be fed without relying on “exploitative and inefficient animal farming industries”.

The protest comes after two Animal Rebellion activists were arrested on Friday after reportedly attempting to approach Sir David Attenborough while he was dining at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Weymouth.

Dorset Police said Emma Smart, 45, was arrested after allegedly causing a disturbance and refusing to comply with officers after she was asked to leave Catch At The Old Fish Market.

According to the protest group, she approached Sir David’s table to try and deliver a letter to him. Smart, an ecologist from Weymouth, said she wanted a five-minute conversation with Sir David about the need to address climate change.

Additional reporting by PA