Vegan actress Evanna Lynch has narrated a harrowing documentary which reveals sickening treatment of animals at two UK turkey farms.

Shocking hidden camera footage exposes horrendous conditions in rearing sheds and ineffective stunning prior to slaughter. The campaign from animal rights group Surge named The Nightmare Before Christmas features footage from independent Essex producer Grove Smith Turkeys from November 2018 and Catfoss Farm in East Yorkshire from October 2019 – a farm operated by Avara Foods.

The Nightmare Before Christmas is narrated by vegan actress and activist Evanna Lynch. “The simple fact is that the only way to absolutely guarantee the welfare of any non-human animal is to not raise them for us to use and abuse,” the Harry Potter actress said.

Footage

Surge said the footage from Grove Smith Turkeys reveals ‘disturbing incidents’ during slaughter and processing. 

In moments where gas stunning was shown to be ineffective, turkeys had their throats cut whilst still flapping their wings. 

In other scenes, turkeys were forced into traffic cones where they then bled to death. Further footage from visits to Grove Smith Turkeys by investigators shows body parts left on the kill room floor or still hanging on machinery.

Investigations

Grove Smith Farms was the subject of a separate exposé from Animal Equality released in December 2018 where turkeys were seen to be cannibalising one another, which prompted national press coverage and investigations by the RSPCA, APHA and Essex Trading Standards, as well as the suspension of orders from one of the company’s main customers. 

In November 2018, Surge revealed ‘disgraceful conditions’ in sheds at an Avara-operated facility in Sudbrooke, Lincolnshire, which resulted in national press coverage. 

At the time, Avara was reported to supply Asda, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s.

“Make this Christmas a happy Christmas for all beings, spread the word about this campaign, and make this Christmas, a vegan Christmas,” Surge said in a statement sent to Totally Vegan Buzz.

“If you would like to support our work at Surge, you can become a Surge supporter today. Donations keep Surge operations and investigations going, and however small your donation may be, any help you are able to offer Surge is hugely appreciated and keeps us going.”

• Read: Investigation reveals workers ‘sexually assaulting’ birds at major Christmas turkey farm

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Oli Gross

Oli’s career and personal ethical values both help shape his reporting of the diverse world of veganism. His background is in local newspaper and magazine journalism, and his work has included reporting court cases, celebrity interviews, business analysis, food and drink features and government legislation.

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