Domino’s Australia is apologizing to a vegan customer who was unknowingly served ham on his pizza rather than the plant-based pie he ordered — on the same day the Australian stores debuted four new plant-based pizzas specifically for vegans and vegetarians.
Patrick Hukins, of Sydney, ordered the pizza on Monday, but said felt something was amiss upon taking his first bite.
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“I had a horrible sinking feeling,” he told Daily Mail Australia. Hukins then inquired about the topping, but was told it was plant-based, so he finished the pizza.
Domino's Australia issued an apology as well as a coupon — but the vegan customer says the coupon won't cover the cost of another vegan pizza. (iStock)
Only afterward, when he started to feel sick, was he sure that he’d eaten ham.
“I had eaten an animal. Not eating animals has become a core part of my belief system,” he told the outlet.
“I felt betrayed. I have been vegan for four years, and having eaten an animal against my knowledge or consent has real thrown me off as I feel my values,” he added.
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Hukins provided photographic evidence to Domino’s Australia, and the company has since offered Hukins an apology. Hukins accepted, according to Facebook, but he says the resulting media coverage of his ordeal has made him realize how “insignificant” his issue is in relation to his larger concern.
“I just want to bring it back to what is the important concern here: the welfare of the defenseless animals that have to endure horrendous suffering and horrifying deaths in slaughterhouses,” he wrote, in part, in a Facebook post shared Wednesday.
“Veganism is not about me. Honestly, this whole drama has led me to realize how insignificant and unimportant my discomfort in eating that pizza is, when compared to what it means for the poor pigs who die screaming for their lives in gas chambers,” he wrote.
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Hukins had also written in a previous Facebook post that he’s not “an angry vegan who is furious” – claiming that some outlets have painted him as such – but rather that he appreciated Domino’s taking action to prevent this same situation from happening in the future.
“We would like to publicly apologize to our customer,” Domino’s Australia had said of the incident earlier this week, in a statement obtained by Daily Mail Australia.
'This was an inadvertent mistake, which will be used as a learning opportunity for our team members. Domino's has a 100 percent customer satisfaction guarantee, and each of our team members works hard to deliver meals that meet our customers' requirements, including specific dietary needs.”
Domino’s Australia had debuted four vegan-friendly pizzas on Monday, including a vegan Hawaiian pizza featuring plant-based ham.
Domino’s Australia debuted four vegan-friendly pizzas on Monday — the same day Patrick Hukins was assured he was eating one of the plant-based pies. (Domino's Australia)
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The chain also offered Hukins a coupon for another pizza, although he told the Daily Mail that the coupon would not cover the cost of one of their vegan offerings.
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