Vegan Hypocrite?

Question

I'm curious if this makes me a hypocrite. I'm a vegan, have been for over 2 years The problem is: I am one of those, unfortunately, vegans who work in the restuarant industry. I am the grill chef. Everyweek (6 nights a week), I must cook over a few hundred hamburgers, steaks and chicken. By the end of a nights work, I'm covered head to toe in raw animal guts (cows blood, chicken slime, etc...) to the point of disgust that even meat eaters would be repulsed. Now obviously as a vegan it isn't my desire to be in this position, spending all my time cooking raw animal flesh but i'm only doing this because I've been formally trained in cooking and its the only place within a bicycle ride for empoyment (no car). What I believe the only attributing factor that would perhaps not make me a hypocrite is I only do this to pay my way through college where I am studying nutrition (dietetics) and plan to use my nutrition degree to further veganism. So my question is:
Does the ends justify the means?

they won't transfer me, because I'm the "best" grill cook they have. Even though I haven't eated that crap in years, I apparently can cook the food to temperature perfect (rare, med rare, med, etc..), Also to note: its one of those corporate owned new restuarants (fridays, uno's, applebees kinda jazz.

Answer 1

I've dealt with this myself, although not to your extreme ... I'm a waitress, and I don't know if there's any one table that doesn't order some kind of animal product. I've had a few people ask me how I feel about serving the food that I refuse to eat. I figure, I'm not eating it, I'm not personally contributing to the death of an animal (considering if I don't wait on them, someone else will anyway), and I do enjoy my job. I was a waitress before I was vegan. If I ever find a vegan restaurant, I would jump at the opportunity, but for now I will continue to support myself and pay my bills.

Answer 2

These infamous crops. OK, I'll bite. Which crops? Which companies? Where are these crops? WHich animals are shot and where are they living? Proof? What vegans eat large scale farm crops- all of the vegans? No. If you simply state some info, all the vegans here will avoid those companies. Whereas you'll still be an as*hole. Second question: Spraying crops with poison to keep animals away- How is that exploitation? Additional Bonus Answer: Read up about what vegetarian means. It means one who does not consume slaughtered animal's bodies or parts of. THe animal welfare aspect is nothing to do with being a vegetarian.

Answer 3

Hi Mikey Will,

I have given this lots of thought... and here is what I have to say about it.

I cannot imagine the frustration that job causes you. I think it would be a good idea to go to an employment agency ASAP and leave a CV with them so they can forward it to anyone looking for a vegetarian or vegan chef.
There are not that many good vegan chefs around and, given your lifestyle, skill and experience your chances of getting a job are high. It might mean you'd have to move, but you would get paid more, too.

In the mean time, you might be able and willing to do the following at your job:

- promote the vegan and vegetarian items on the menu

- spread the word about how "butchery" your work is, you might give a meater or two (as I like to call them) something to think about.

- take pictures of all the blood and stuff. Also the kitchen, the fridge/freezer, the cutting and the cooking process, yourself (clothes, hands...), pans, knives, plates before they leave the kitchen and when they come back, the trash can... all of it. Pretend it's for a project at your college, if necessary.

- Then after you quit this bl00dy job, you can tell the story to the whole wide world (anonimously, if you wish). Offer your story to a respectable newspaper/magazine, and if they're not interested, contact Peta and they will help you.

- the papers will also be interested in statistical facts (like, 40% of all food served at that particular restaurant is meat, there are x customers every week so that makes Y kilograms of meat served at this restaurant per week which means one restaurant alone is responsible for that and that much global warming... for example). It is also good making a note of where the meat comes from.
You know, journalists can't just show up in a restaurant and ask all kinds of questions - the management would never want to answer them - but YOU can answer those questions (though presumably not while you still work there).

_

If at all possible, try opening your own restaurant. Or, perhaps you can bake vegan cakes and sell them on eBay. Not joking! There is a lady in UK who makes vegan cakes, cupcakes, pancakes etc and sells them on eBay for a good price and shee seems to be doing well. Look her up (just search for "vegan cake" on eBay), she might give you some advice.

Another idea is to have a TV show. Again, I am serious. Let's face it, everyone likes watching a young, enthusiastic boy cook. Especially if he is knowledgeable about food - ingredients and all. Like - everyone loved Jamie Oliver from the very beginning (although he's not veggie and I hate him for cooking live mussels - on the Jonathan Ross show, too!). Perhaps you could start at a local TV station.

_

I hope you can use a couple of these ideas. Do make it known that you are available as a vegan chef! Fingers crossed there is a veggie place opening soon near you!

Answer 4

I don't think you are. Being a server for years I heavily pondered going back to the service industry. I loved serving. At this point, since I do have other options I chose not to go back to serving, because I don't want to have to serve meat all day, or smell it, or smell like it by the end of the night. Still, the money was sweet and it was great excercise on top of that! You are not eating the food, and you are cooking it because thats what you have to do. Just think though of the experience you are getting! Maybe one day you will be able to be a chef at a vegan or vegetarian restaurant, and help design a menu. Your knowledge of preperation etc, even if it is meat, will prove useful in making new and creative dishes for us vegans!

Answer 5

To be honest, no one should judge one way or the other concerning this question. It is what matters to you personally. You have made a choice to respect life, to not eat the flesh of animals, and this is highly admirable. At the same time, you find yourself in a situation where you are cooking the life you have chosen to respect because you are trying to get to a place where you can finish your education and move forward to a point where you do not need to do this in order to survive. If this is something that makes you, on the inside, feel that you are being untrue to what you stand for, then you have a decision to make. You may need to look for other employment, at least until you are able to find something that allows you to use your talents and skills without crossing the line of what you feel is important and sacred. It doesn't matter what I think of what you do, or what anyone else does. What matters is what you live for, what you think, what you feel is true and right.

I wish you the best,

Teri

Answer 6

No, I dont think that makes you a hypocrit at all. Its a dilemma, to be sure, but you have to pay the bills somehow, and if thats the only restaurant where you can ride to, then you have to do what you must. Your only other option would be to get a job thats not in the food industry, and go back to that later, when you can work in a vegan or vegetarian restaurant. You are a braver person than I am-I cant even walk past the meat counter any more. It must be awful for you having to smell it and deal with the blood and guts! I feel for you!

Answer 7

If you're not eating the meat, you're not a hypocrite. Anyone that has to work, will do what they can, no matter what they have to do, or make.
I work at a Chinese food restaraunt, and I take orders EVERY week for thousands of dished calling for meat in it. This doesn't make me a hypocrite, so why would what you do be any different. You're giving people access to meat sure, but you're not eating it.
Our jobs as vegans is to BE a vegan, not to prevent anyone else from eating meat and dairy.
Don't worry about it, kiddo!

Answer 8

Interesting Issue.. I think your options are clear.. Find another job at any cost.. Or Put up with it until you can move on...... I don't think you are contributing to the bigger problem.. If you don't make the money then guess what someone else will. The steaks and Burgers will still get cooked,.. Just by someone else.

Answer 9

I don't think it makes you a hypocrite but if you don't like doing it, then you could always start doing less than a good job as the grill chef and convince them to transfer you to a different job, like waiting tables or something.

Waiting tables is the best job in a restaurant I think, especially if it's big enough that they pay other people to do the cleaning. You get lots of tips, exercise and you don't have to cook anything.

Answer 10

If you're a vegan by practice, not principle then you've got noting to worry about. People are free to make choices.

However, If you are a vegan from an animal rights standpoint and your job is to prepare 'them' for the consumption by others, or because you believe veganism is healthier than consuming red/white meat and your feading the masses with something you wouldn't consume yourself (for health reasons). The water then becomes a lot muddier.