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Food

People Are Pretty Pissed Off About This Colonial-Themed Restaurant

Brisbane’s British Colonial Co restaurant has suffered social media backlash after marketing itself as “inspired by the stylish days” of the British Empire.
Photo courtesy of British Colonial Co/Facebook.

A new Brisbane restaurant found itself in the midst of a social media storm last week—and not just because it's one of those places that serves blobs of puréed parsnip and describes its cocktail list as "innovative" (read: garnished with more limp flowers than your local petrol station).

The British Colonial Co restaurant, which opened in July and specialises in modern Australian cuisine, has been criticised for its provocative choice of name. Many have taken to Twitter and Facebook to argue that calling an eatery "British Colonial" romanticises the British Empire, which saw parts of Africa, India, and Australia suffer enforced British rule between the 16th and 18th centuries.

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One Twitter user suggested a trip to the restaurant for those who were "in the mood for imperialism and genocide for dinner," referencing the enslavement and abuse suffered by many natives under colonial rule.

The British Colonial Co's accompanying tagline doesn't make things much better. Diners can apparently expect dishes "inspired by the stylish days of the empirical push into the developing cultures of the world."

Unsurprisingly, Aboriginal news sources in Australia were among the first to criticise the restaurant branding. Blackfulla Revolution took particular issue with the tagline, writing in a Facebook post: "Stylish 'push' into the developing cultures? Try 'genocidal invasion.'"

In a statement to the Australian Associated Press, a spokesperson for the restaurant responded to the backlash, saying: "We believe that our decor and menu has great synergy with Brisbane's climate and the expansive palette of our clientele, who are looking for a melting pot of food and beverages to enjoy in a relaxed atmosphere."

The British Colonial Co has now however changed the tagline to the slightly less provocative: "A refined and modern dining experience with the adventure of east meets west in a plantation-style, club setting."

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They're not the first restaurant to be accused of cultural insensitivity. Last month, a London bar was forced to change its name from "The Plantation" to "Burlock" after being called out by campaign group Black Activists Against Cuts. The group said: "Plantations were places where people suffered and died, where Africans suffered unimaginable violence and terror at the hands of their slave masters."

British Colonial Co might not want to change its name, but the owners should probably rethink their branding strategy. Imperialism just isn't appetising.