The editor of Waitrose Food magazine has caused outrage after he joked about killing vegans.
William Sitwell also told freelancer Selene Nelson, who had pitched him a series of vegan recipes, that an alternative series could feature exposing the “hypocrisy” of vegans, and force-feeding them meat.
In an email published by Buzzfeed, he wrote: “Thanks for this. How about a series on killing vegans, one by one. Ways to trap them?
He continued: “How to interrogate them properly? Expose their hypocrisy? Force-feed them meat? Make them eat steak and drink red wine?"
Sitwell, who regularly appears on Masterchef to taste the contestant’s creations, has since apologised “profusely to anyone who has been offended or upset by this”.
Ms Nelson told Buzzfeed she had “never seen anything like it.”
“If William Sitwell wants to continue eating meat and hating vegans, that’s his prerogative, but to have this attitude towards others when he’s representing Waitrose is seriously bizarre," she added.
Waitrose said in a statement: "Even though this was a private email William's gone too far and his words are extremely inappropriate, insensitive and absolutely do not represent our views.”
Sitwell added: "I love and respect people of all appetites, be they vegan, vegetarian or meat eaters - which I show week in week out through my writing, editing and broadcasting.
"I apologise profusely to anyone who has been offended or upset by this."
