Sir, – I was interested to read Claire Fairweather’s letter entitled “Foie-gras folly”, and her opinions about the wisdom of Lewis and Cooper selling this product. I am quite sure that almost all of us would support her in her views on what constitutes cruelty and the need to make people aware of it.

However, once we embark on this journey we do indeed enter choppy waters.

What about the broiler pullets, fattened over a very short period – 39 days in many cases – that are despatched as carcases to fulfil our need for cheap food. You know the ones: they’re in all of our supermarkets – “Three for a tenner!”

But for whom is it cheap? Not the pullet; that’s for sure. The chicken we are served in the restaurant when we eat out, where has that come from? Having spent some of my working life with a trading standards department, I am very aware that a lot of chicken meat served in commercial premises originates from some pretty scary and inhumane sources; sometimes from the Far East.

And what about the bacon and pork from Denmark and Holland, where welfare is less stringent than here in Britain?

And New Zealand lamb, where much is killed by Halal methods to satisfy the enormous market in the Middle East?

I for one will never buy anything but British pork and bacon, and broiler chickens would stay on the shelves if I had my way. Likewise with New Zealand lamb, I avoid it.

But these are personal decisions.

So I made a trip to Lewis and Cooper in Northallerton, and I discovered that the manager has gone to a great deal of trouble to ascertain the veracity of the claims concerning the humane methods of production, and is mortified by the criticism received, but of course it is still open to argument.

As far as I was able to establish, Lewis and Cooper has gone the extra mile in order to present a product that has some demand, and is as humanely produced as possible, but being aware of the sensitivities of their clientele, they have removed it from display and will not be re-stocking it.

However, I can confirm that if anybody wishes to purchase from the small amount of stock remaining, then a request to the deli counter will be politely accommodated.

But as they say, “When it’s gone; it’s gone!” And then, should your proclivities over-ride your humanities, it’s a ferry and a long drive down to the Dordogne for what after all is just a very expensive slice of paté.

DAVID J SMITH Romanby, Northallerton.