Bravo.

A business owner making both a personal ethical choice and responding to his customers' wishes, without government getting involved.

This is EXACTLY how these issues should be handled.

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Awesome! I wish more restaurants would do this.

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Bear in mind that he did make this decision after 3 years of protests outside his restaurants, and waves of legislation sweeping across the country. It seems a little disingenuous to label him the crown prince of animal welfare because he saw which way the wind was blowing.

That said, it's a step in the right direction, and as a vegetarian I'm happy to see he's going to be offering a few more items directed at me. I might actually find occasion to make it in to one of his restaurants now.

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I am pleased with his decision however he arrived at it. It took him three years, but it could have taken three decades.

http://thewellseasonedcook.blogspot.com

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" In addition, his veal, pork, and poultry purchases are to come from suppliers that have adopted higher animal welfare standards and don't confine their animals."

If someone could enlighten me: how does
one produce tender veal if the
calf isn't confined ? [serious question]

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Megan, check out Azuluna veal: http://azulunabrands.com/index_files/Page568.htm

This is a new brand being developed by the Tufts veterinary school (full disclosure: I am a Tufts vet student) which has a goal of establishing humane methods of raising farm animals which represent an alternative source of revenue for (primarily) New England farmers.

There are also a couple of veal producers who have the Certified Humane label: http://www.certifiedhumane.org/producer-links.html

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For more direction on how Wolfgang Puck and his right hand man, Tom Kaplan, run the restaurant business for the Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group, check out this interview of Tom Kaplan by two Stanford business school students for iinnovate:

http://iinnovate.blogspot.com/2007/04/tom-kaplan-senior-managing-partner-of.html


Perhaps it might provide some background on why he's adopting these new policies.


Min, on behalf of the iinnovate team.

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