Horsemat scandal: ‘Customers need to be better educated’

A French restaurant owner who has added horsemeat burgers to his menu said he hopes the food scandal will teach people to better educate themselves about the source of what they eat.

Martin Leman, 38, who runs Chez Sophie in Knockholt, near Sevenoaks, Kent, said horsemeat has a “delicious” beef-like taste, is low in fat and packed with protein.

By popular demand, he said he introduced 100 per cent horsemeat burgers to his restaurant, and either pan fries or grills them before serving them topped with a fried egg on a bed of salad.

Mr Leman, who has run Chez Sophie for the past four years, said: “Our customers approached us and asked us what it tastes like, so we brought some in.

“There’s negativity surrounding food processing and fraud, but people have been eating horse for years. In the Second World War, horse was considered a main meal because of the shortage of food.”

The feedback from his customers has been overwhelmingly positive, he added. “Eating ready meals may seem like a cheap option but if you go to a local butcher, they will always help you find a good inexpensive cut. People just need to be better educated.”