Chef counter-protests vegan activists by butchering meat in front of them

Yelp photos show Toronto Antler Kitchen & Bar. The game-focused restaurant was the site of a recent protest during which co-owner and head chef Michael Hunter butchered a deer leg in front of vegan activists. less Yelp photos show Toronto Antler Kitchen & Bar. The game-focused restaurant was the site of a recent protest during which co-owner and head chef Michael Hunter butchered a deer leg in front of vegan ... more Photo: Karen M./Yelp Photo: Karen M./Yelp Image 1 of / 32 Caption Close Chef counter-protests vegan activists by butchering meat in front of them 1 / 32 Back to Gallery

When animal rights activists staged a demonstration outside Michael Hunter's restaurant, the Toronto chef countered their protest by butchering a chunk of bloody meat in front of them.

Hunter selected a deer leg to carve behind the window of Antler Kitchen & Bar, in front of which protesters held signs reading, "Murder" and "Animals are not ours to use." The Toronto restaurant specializes in "regional ingredients," like wild game, according to its website.

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Demonstration organizer Marni Jill Ugar told People she and fellow activists had protested at the restaurant four times prior. Sufficiently angered upon the protesters' fifth visit, Hunter decided to stage a protest of his own.

"They're offending us; I'm going to offend them," the restaurant co-owner and head chef told the Washington Times. He said the activists yelled "murderer" at patrons entering the restaurant and had been driving away business for months.

After Hunter demonstrated his butchering skills for the disgusted protesters, he returned to eat the cooked meat in front of them, Ugar told People.

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"Who is the joke on?" she asked. "The deer?"

According to Eater, Hunter later regretted his actions – "I played into them," he said – and offered to cook the activists his vegan tasting menu and take them on a foraging trip. The offer was countering Ugar's promise to limit the protests to once a month if Hunter displayed a sign in the window decrying animal slaughter. The duo have yet to reach an agreement.

The food news site claims all the press buzz has led to a spike in reservations at Antler Kitchen.

Michelle Robertson is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at mrobertson@sfchronicle.com or find her on Twitter at @mrobertsonsf.