Strict vegetarian being asked to try meat

[PinkFeather]

So, I am a strict vegetarian and have recently started a new job working in a kitchen. The job is wonderful except for one thing...the chef expects me to try meat/meat based products to make sure the flavouring is good.
The thought of trying meat makes me feel physically ill, I have no problem preparing and cooking it, I just don't eat it.
Am I right in thinking it is wrong to ask a vegetarian to do this?

YABU. How did you pass training without learning you have to taste the food?

DistanceCall that is just bullshit. Who are you to arbitrarily decide who can work where?

I worked for a reasonably well known chef who had several food allergies. He still managed to win awards and do his job.

I don't understand the bias against vegetarians on here. How does it affect an omnivore if someone chooses not to eat animal products?

When I was a vegetarian working as a chef, I didn't eat meat because I had "gone off" it. The ethical side of it wasn't an issue for me back then. I didn't have a problem prepping it, or giving it a taste to check the flavouring/doneness of casserole etc.

YANBU. You disclosed it in the interview and they still hired you. I'm another vegetarian who'd be too busy gagging on the taste of meat to know whether or not it tasted right. Almost heaved at the smell of a perfectly normal cheese and ham toastie the other day.

itlypocerka vegetarianism is capable of being a protected philosophical belief under the Equality Act 2010, although it will depend on the strength and cohesiveness of the individual's particular beliefs. It's complicated though because whilst your right to hold a particular belief is absolutely protected, your right to manifest the belief (e.g. through refusing to taste a meat dish in this case) is not. The courts tend to view the latter as indirect discrimination which can be justified. Here though the OP could argue that it would not be justified to discipline her for something she made perfectly clear at interview. OP, there is some ACAS guidance on this - I can't link as it's a PDF but you should find it if you Google "ACAS guidance religion and belief in the workplace".

You explained at the interview, draw a line in the sand, you are being bullied.

20 years vegetarian, how the hell are you supposed to know what a meat dish is supposed to taste like. I assume you would then spit the meat out because if you swallowed it you would either end up vomiting or running straight to the toilet as it came out the other end very quickly, I know that as a long term vegetarian. How does that sit with health and safety?

It would be like forcing a muslim to eat during ramadam, a Jew to eat bacon, a coeliac to eat gluten, a sikh to eat halal or kosher meat...

Ultimately it is direct discrimination under the law. 20 years vegetarianism, is a philosophical belief that is genuinely held, a weighty and substantial aspect of human life, has a level of cogency, seriousness, cohesion and importance, is worthy of respect in a democratic society, compatible with
human dignity and not conflict with the fundamental rights of others.

AND therefore comes under the 2009 Employment Appeal Tribunal decision.

Cross post

Here is the ACAS link Welshwabbit referenced

Vegetarian

You need to check your job description OP.

I am vegetarian too.

But, it seems like tasting food would be part of the job.

Thanks anon - I need to work out how to do that!

If they hire a vegetarian in the knowledge that she's a vegetarian, then they are unreasonable to expect that she eat meat. Besides, as someone else already mentioned, a vegetarian would not know how the meat dish is supposed to taste, anyway!

It would probably be less stressful to get a job at a vegetarian restaurant. Or an organic foods restaurant where people are more tolerant towards vegetarians.

But, it seems like tasting food would be part of the job.

Yet again - the OP has already stated that she made it clear at the start that she wasn't prepared to do that. They hired her anyway.

I don't get why meat would necessarily make a vegetarian hurl or they "wouldn't be able to taste it properly." I didn't eat meat for 17 years, but that didn't stop it being delicious.

You'd be surprised, EastMids, a year off dairy and cheese absolutely stinks to me, and I used to be a huge cheese fan.

DixieWishbone I've had similar experiences. The smell of a ham and cheese toastie almost made me heave a few days ago - can't bear the smell of cooked meat, and cold meat eg ham smells like rancid fat to me. Interesting how different people react to it in different ways.

If someone has explained at interview that there is an aspect of the job that they can't do, and has been offered the job on this basis, then surely the employer should respect that?

In this case I think the chef is being unreasonable in his demand that the OP should taste dishes containing meat or fish.

I am also appalled at the thought that people would try to force someone to try meat, if they are a vegetarian - how can anyone think that would be OK??

Have there actually been any cases where vegetarianism has been a protected belief under the Equality Act? And also there's an exception where the discrimination takes the form of a work requirement that is "an occupational requirement" (Sch. 9 part 1 1(1)(a)). I presume that would apply to a cook having to taste the food s/he cooked.

Yes it is wrong

nanny well they might not, but others can. I have been mostly vegetarian (occassionally pescetarian) for 20 years, and handled and cooked meat on more or less a daily basis over that period, for my children. I didn't like the feel or smell of it but I had to put up with it. I'm sure plenty of other vegetarians are in the same position. I expect there are quite a few vegetarians that might find themselves having to accept jobs in catering or retail which involve handling meat, something they might not enjoy.
In any case, the OP didn't say she had an issue with handling meat, only with tasting it.

Thankyou for the replies they have certainly helped I have no issue handling meat just I don't like eating it and haven't liked it since a young child. Think I will speak to my boss and see if it can work with me not trying the meat and if not then maybe the jobs not for me

KitKats it's akin to someone who dislikes children applying for work in a nursery, specifying that he/she will handle children and change their nappies or whatever, but cannot be expected to actually talk to or play with the children.

Professional chefs are usually quite passionate about what they do, or at least they are proud of it. And sampling is a significant part of the job. Why a vegetarian would work in a non-vegetarian kitchen is frankly completely beyond me. You are not interested in what goes on there, you don't enjoy the results, and you probably have moral misgivings about it. What on earth are you doing there then?

KitKats it's akin to someone who dislikes children applying for work in a nursery, specifying that he/she will handle children and change their nappies or whatever, but cannot be expected to actually talk to or play with the children.

But it's not like that is it? Unless nursery nurses are expected to eat children.

The OP said in advance that this wasn't something she was prepared to do. The restaurant still chose to hire her. It can't possibly be that fundamental a part of the job or they would've hired someone else.

The OP said in advance that this wasn't something she was prepared to do. The restaurant still chose to hire her. It can't possibly be that fundamental a part of the job or they would've hired someone else.

if that is the case, then yes it is unreasonable.

But I am surprised a non-veg eatery would hire someone not willing to taste the food before sending it out. How would you now if it was well prepared?

But how far would you take such a position? Would you require someone with a dairy intolerance/allergy try foods containing milk? Would you say that a restaurant that serves pork should not employ any Jewish or Muslim person in the kitchen if they will not try the pork dishes to make sure they taste right (assuming they are happy to touch/prepare the food which is their choice obviously). What about someone who just hates tomato to the point that they will actually throw up if they taste one?