Question for vegans or vegetarians - would this bother you?

[ScreamingValenta]

I was reading this interesting article in the Telegraph:

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/11/21/pub-changes-name-shoulder-mutton-bid-attract-vegans-vegetarians/

A pub called The Shoulder of Mutton has changed its name after 50 years, as the landlady wants to appeal more to vegetarian and vegan diners. It's been done alongside improving the menu choices for those diners which would seem to me a more effective way to attract new customers (but I'm not a vegetarian so can't really judge).

I was wondering whether this was likely to have been done just to generate publicity (it's succeeded!) or whether vegans and vegetarians genuinely find meat-themed pub names off-putting.

If you're vegetarian/vegan, would you avoid 'The Shoulder of Mutton' or similar?

I wouldn't assume a traditional pub name involving something meaty (e.g. the Baron of Beef) would mean that it didn't cater to vegetarians these days, and I always check menus in advance anyway, but I can't imagine that the Shoulder of Mutton is a particularly attractive name to anyone, meat eater or not, so changing it probably works for lots of reasons.

I do avoid places with 'steak house' in their names, though...

I can very much understand why someone would want to change the name - there are lots of less-than-positive associations with the word mutton.

I'm not vegetarian but if I was, I think I'd assume that it wouldn't cater for me. Or at best, there'd be one token, unappealing veggie option on the menu.

I would absolutely rule it out as a reception venue, if I was a bride. No matter how good the food was, or the place as a venue.

Mutton dressed as lamb.

And even mutton isn't called mutton these days. When I was growing up, sheep meat was called mutton. Now, it's called lamb, regardless of the fact that most sheep meat will be animals over a year old.

'Mutton' doesn't sound at all appealing to the modern ear.

Mutton. Mutton. Mutton.

Keep saying it, it sounds weird

Mutton.

Mutton.

Yeah - I can see why she changed it.

Mutton.

🤣