Sarah says no thanks to veal – but 'yum' to green pea ice-cream

Published on Friday 10 July 2009 22:21

SARAH Brown has twice declined to eat veal during her visit to Italy for the G8 summit, it emerged yesterday.

Veal is a popular delicacy in Italy and has featured twice on menus for the spouses of G8 leaders during the three-day summit in L'Aquila.

But the Prime Minister's wife has long-standing objections to the meat, which is regarded as cruel by many British animal lovers because of the conditions in which calves are reared.

On both occasions when veal was offered, Mrs Brown turned it down, Downing Street sources said.

However, she has tucked into some unusual Italian specialities during the visit, including green pea ice-cream at a meal yesterday, which she pronounced "delicious".

Mrs Brown said she hoped she would not be offered veal again at the summit.

Writing on Twitter, she said: "Am hoping that no veal served at lunch again today – have declined it twice this trip as just feel very strongly about it."

Leaders of the G8 nations enjoyed gourmet treats from Italian cuisine at a summit banquet hosted by President Giorgio Napolitano.

The dinner was overseen by prime minister Silvio Berlusconi's personal chef, Michele Persechini, and included hand-made miniature macaroni, roast lamb and sweet pizza dessert.

Mrs Brown has had a busy programme while her husband was in summit meetings, having a private audience with Pope Benedict XVI, viewing Renaissance buildings in L'Aquila damaged by April's earthquake and meeting families still living in tents while their homes are rebuilt.

Yesterday, she met the Hollywood film stars George Clooney and Bill Murray, who were in L'Aquila to offer their support to the quake victims.