To not expect to find BEEF in my vegetarian chilli

[Katiekitty]

Last night I opened a tin of chilli for dinner (I know, I know, just call me Nigella!), I cooked it, started tucking in when, what's this? I pulled out a forkfull of beef!beef I ask you! Not strictly a vegetable... Not what I expected, nor what I wanted as I'm a vegetarian and it said clearly on the label 'suitable for vegetarians' and indeed, for vegans. Not in my book.
AIBU to expect my vegetarian dinner to be beef-free?

oh dear that is unfortunate - I would have been furious

but but but chili is SO easy to make you know

sorry

I would have gone mad.
Are you going to complain?

I am absolutely fuming mad!
I want to complain, but I can't find any contact number for the company involved. All I've found is a 'comments' email thing, which I've filled out and sent, however, I don't think it's working as when I send it, the page couldn't be displayed. Hmmm.
There's no phone number. How can I complain? I've got a lot of complaining to do to them.
I want to rant and rave about it, it's so wrong!

MamaG - I know! And what's more, a vegetarian chili is even easier to make as it shouldn't have any MEAT in it!

Can you name-and-shame the company? I would be very wary of buying anything from them.
(it wasn't TVP was it? )

I'm very sure it's meat, I'm afraid. It's got that meaty look to it. The chili has no mention of any meat substitute stuff in it, not tvp/quorn or suchlike.

I've kept the offending piece, should I send it to them? If I ever find a way of contacting them...Grrr, really cross about this.

Katiekitty - please let us know what variety it was so that some of the rest of us can avoid it too!

Hope it wasn't a piece of mouse that had fallen into the mixing vats, eh? Take it back to the shop where you bought it and see what they have to say: they should at least be able to give you contact details for the supplier.

Katie we are dying to know what brand!
Hurry up and tell us!

Here goes...

It's Stagg Vegetable Garden Chili, made by Hormel Foods! Now with added beef...

Do not send the whole piece back to them because they will say it got lost in the post and nothing will be done about it.

What should I do with the piece of meat? Who should I send it to?!!!

YOu are right to be angry. Last year we took a couple of good friends out for a meal at a greek restaraunt and ordered meeze, highlighting that one of our geusts was vegetarian (has never tasted meat in his life). all was going well until they brought out tha main courses, there were obvious meat dishes (plate of grilled meats etc), then they place directly in front of him where you would have your plate you eat off (not in the middle of the table) a stuffed aubergine, and proceeded to tell him this was the vegetarian choice. He cut into it and put some in his mout only to discover it was stuffed with miced lamb . You can imagine the outrage (and the seriously reduced bill)

Mouse!!!! Nooooooo!
Oh god, that's horiffic!
I'm going to contact the customer services of the supermarket from whence I bought it and see what they can do. It's so wrong.

ok - I like a challenge!

Have found Stagg Uk website here and that page states Stagg in UK is made by Tulip foods.

Have found their website and contact details here.

hth!

Good work Madamy - I'm going to call Tulip Foods and raise a bit of merry hell.
I've tried emailing that website, however, that's the one that crashes whenever I try and email their customer services.
I'm calling Tulip right now!

Stagg? It's probably venison

I think it's quite creepy when a (very cheap and therefore probably totally unethical) meat producer such as Tulip also has a vegetarian brand. Makes you wonder if there's been some internal recycling of products...

thats awful!ive not heard of the brand.

you should raise this with the supermarket where you bought it as your contract is with them - might be easier to get hold of someone?

Jasper - that's made me laugh more than it should!

Well, I've called Tulip and got the number for the account manager, he's on answerphone, so I've left a message and asked him to call me back. Didn't go into specifics.
I wonder if he'll call me back?

I also called the supermarket and they said I had to speak with the supplier as it's not one of their products. Charming!

Grrrr

you do have a right to your money back off the SUPERMARKRT-your contract is with them.

also contact trading standards.

Hmm I think you can complain on two counts, firstly about the meat, and secondly about the lack of contact details on the packaging.
Contact the food standards agency and report them.

Just spoke with Trading Standards people and they say its an environmental health issue as it's to do with a 'foreign body', so I'm just taking it up with them...

Oooh, Environmental Health are going to collect the offending item from me and see what it is and how it came to be there!
Still feel yuk though as it's all a bit grim and you realise you're at these food manufacturers mercy. No ready meals for me from now on...