The F Word - Series 4 Janet Street-Porter has a cow

Date Published:

07/05/2008

With series 4 of the F Word now underway, it’s not Gordon’s gob that’s got everyone talking - it’s Janet's calves. The controversy surrounding her rearing of veal calves is in full swing.

Janet Street-Porter tells 4 Food how she is preparing for life as a veal farmer

What convinced you to take on this experience?

I think the public are very confused about veal and when we did the story in the last series, a lot of the people I spoke to in the street thought that it was 'cruel' to eat veal, whereas, if you eat meat, it's crueller not to eat British veal. I want to show people the truth about how veal is raised in this country.

Did you find it difficult to find information and supplies to get set up?

Before we started filming the researchers provided me with a full briefing pack and loads of information. I would not want to film anything that was either cruel or unkind to animals. I want my animals to have had a good life before they are slaughtered.

Is it true that you’ll be raising the calves in your garden?

They are in a barn in a field very close to my property. I don't live on a farm, but in an old farmhouse. I do not have a barn that is suitable, and I have turned my only field into a vegetable garden and orchard!

What are the public's misconceptions about veal?

The public think that veal is 'cruelly' raised. Animal husbandry standards in this country are far higher than on the continent. British veal is slaughtered when it is the same age as lamb - so it's no different.

The animals are not kept in the dark, not kept in horrible pens. The bull (male) calves are a by-product of the dairy industry. The female calves are kept for milk and for reproduction. The male calves are either slaughtered or sent to the continent, because there is so little demand for their meat here. If more of us ate British veal, then these calves would be raised, have a perfectly acceptable life, living in a barn and perhaps in a field, and then get slaughtered at the same age as British lamb - what on Earth is cruel about that? If you object, it's because you don't agree with eating meat.

What were the reactions of friends and family to the project?

They thought it was pretty funny, because I don't have pets. I said 'I am raising these calves to eat, not as pets', so I don’t have a problem with that. I am not squeamish about slaughtering animals, but I do want them to have a decent life first.

You're known for being outspoken - will it bother you at all if there are negative reactions to your venture?

I can't see why meat-eaters would object, as it's all part of an important job in re-educating the public about the meat they eat. Vegetarians are entitled to their opinions.

Do you have any moments of doubt, for example, fears of growing too attached to the animals themselves?

I will not be attached to them as pets, and neither are the small children we showed the animals to at my local school. They grow up in a farming community and have a much more realistic attitude to animals than many city kids who have no idea where meat comes from.

Will you be involved in the slaughter of the animals yourself? Will you have to be specially trained in this area, and will the RSPCA have to be involved?

I don't know yet. I will be going to the slaughter, and I have talked to Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall about this as he goes to the slaughter of his animals.

Any special veal recipes that you're looking forward to serving up?

I love slow-cooked veal stew; it's a very good way of using all the cheaper cuts of the meat and is very tasty.