Vegan family asks neighbours to close their windows when cooking meat

‘Stop pushing your food views on others,’ read one response

A vegan family has been called “entitled” after they sent a letter to their neighbours asking them to close their windows when cooking meat.

The neighbourhood dispute began in Perth, Australia, when a Burns Beach resident claimed that the smell of meat wafting from their neighbour’s home was making the plant-based family “sick and upset”.

The handwritten letter, which was submitted to the Hey Perth Facebook account, had the disclaimer “Please Take Seriously” and “Important Message” written on the front of the note.

Inside the letter, the note read: “Hello neighbour, could you please shut your side window when cooking please? My family are vegan (we eat only plant based foods) and the smell of the meat you cook makes us feel sick and upset.”

“We would appreciate your understanding,” the letter said, which was signed from “Sarah, Wayne and kids”.

On 5 May, the popular Hey Perth Facebook account captioned the post: “Sent to us by Kylie from Burns Beach.”

In the comments, many people were furious over the vegan family’s “entitled” request for their neighbours to shut their windows when cooking meat.

“I would fire up the smoker and do a 12 hour brisket, with a sausage sizzle for lunch thrown in,” replied one Facebook user. “Entitled much?”

Some people joked that if they were to receive a similar letter, they’d host a neighbourhood barbeque in retaliation. “Jesus, what is the world coming to when you can’t cook a steak in your own kitchen,” one person said. “I’d crank the Weber too just for posting that.”

“They should hold a street party, and get a full spit going on the front lawn,” another person suggested.

Others claimed that it’s nobody’s “business” what people cook in their own homes, and that the plant-based family should stop “pushing [their] food views” onto their neighbours.

“People like that need to be in their own suburb,” said one Facebook user.

“None of their business what you cook,” said someone else. “Complain about what they cook and see how that goes.”

“Next these people will be asking fast food places to shut their vents so the smell of cooking meats doesn’t contaminate their precious air,” a third user joked. “If it makes you that sick hun, maybe you should be the one closing your windows. Stop pushing your food views on others.”

Meanwhile, some people shared their suggestions for how the carnivore family should respond to their veggie-loving neighbours.

“If their side window was very close to their own home, I’d accommodate the request. I don’t see why not,” one person wrote. “However, if I were bbqing in the yard, tough. Close your own windows.”

Another said: “A same reply is enough. Dear neighbour, please shut your windows when you cook veggies as I am carnivore (eat meat only) and the smell of the cooked veggies is offensive to me.”