A British caterer has apologized after facing intense backlash for naming its vegan hot dog the “Anne Frankfurter,” an offensive pun combining Anne Frank’s name with the word frankfurter.
Screenshots of the menu from the Viva Veggie Van, based in the West Midlands, containing the Anne Frankfurter hot dog were posted to Twitter this week, sparking fury on social media.
The £7 ($8.60 USD) plant-based sausage was going to be available at the Birmingham Brewery Company taproom over the weekend.
However, after the controversy erupted, the establishment cut ties with the caterer.
“A menu was shared last night by a 3rd party vendor who was booked to trade at our brewery tap room this weekend. We did not have sight of the menu before it was published and agree that the name of one of the dishes is totally inappropriate. The trader will not be trading with us,” it said in a statement.
Karen Pollock, the CEO of Holocaust Educational Trust, slammed the caterer for using “a Holocaust victim as a marketing ploy,” according to the Jewish Chronicle.
But Viva Veggie Van owner Maria Finn defended the name of the hot dog, telling the news outlet that she hadn’t meant to offend anyone.
"I can’t believe what’s happened, It was just playing with words, something to stand out, this business is me and my daughter,” Finn said. "We never meant to upset anyone, I’m not a controversial person."
Finn also justified the name of the hot dog, adding: "Anne Frank was from Germany, from Frankfurt, and she didn’t eat meat."