UK caterer apologizes for ‘Anne Frankfurter’ hot dog dish
Viva Veggie Van says it ‘never meant to upset anyone’ after item named after Holocaust diarist prompts backlash
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A UK caterer has apologized for naming a hot dog dish after Anne Frank, calling it the “Anne Frankfurter.”
The plant-based hot dog from the Viva Veggie Van was put on a menu prepared for a local brewery where the item was set to be served over the weekend.
According to a Tuesday report in the UK’s Jewish Chronicle, photos of the menu including the “Anne Frankfurter” began circulating online earlier this week, prompting a backlash.
The brewery distanced itself from the caterer, saying it was not made aware of the item ahead of time.
“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,” Birmingham’s Brum Brewing Company said.
The item was a £7 ($8.53) hot dog dish served with onions, relish, ketchup and mustard.
The Anne Frankfurter? Really Viva Veggie?!
I’d think twice before hosting this on your patch @brumbrewery pic.twitter.com/4Rnu4pbK9t
— Nathan Judah (@NathanJudah) December 13, 2022
The owner of the catering company told the Jewish Chronicle the company was just “playing with words, something to stand out.”
“Anne Frank was from Germany, from Frankfurt, and she didn’t eat meat,” she said of the naming choice.
“We never meant to upset anyone. I’m not a controversial person,” she said.
She also criticized the brewing company for canceling the order, saying it was a “massive hit” for her business.
The German-Dutch teenage diarist Frank was murdered by the Nazis in 1945. Published in 1947, “The Diary of Anne Frank” remains one of the most widely read books on the Holocaust to this day and has been translated into over 70 languages.
Earlier this year, a Rhode Island sports bar apologized after sharing a meme on Facebook making light of Anne Frank’s death at the hands of the Nazis.
“It’s hotter than an oven out there… and I should know,” read the Atlantic Sports and Bar’s post over a picture of Frank. The post was seeking to make a joke about a heatwave rolling through Rhode Island.
Two days after taking it down, the restaurant issued an apology saying that the post was “poorly thought out and we realize that it was incredibly inappropriate and does not reflect our values as members of our community.”
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