A Tex-Mex restaurant in Norwich, UK has pulled a pepper sauce from its menu after a diner accused management of referencing slavery with a “racist” term about picking cotton.
Mambo Jambo was accused of selling a racist steak side order called “Cotton pickin’ – our own black pepper sauce.” The name of the sauce drew ire from a customer who noticed it on the menu.
According to the Norwich Evening News, diner Osa Odeh was shocked to see “racist language” while browsing the Mambo Jambo menu. African slave labor was used in the Americas to pick cotton.
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The term also caught the attention of organisers of Norwich Stand Up To Racism campaign. “The fact a Norwich restaurant is describing black pepper sauce for steak using a reference to Africans used as slave labour is abhorrent and racist,” said Julie Bremner, a member of the group.
“There is no place for racism in our multicultural and diverse society and I hope the restaurant addresses this issue promptly. It does not fit with our overall aim that Norwich is a City of Diversity,” Bremner added.
Mambo Jambo has now reportedly taken the “cotton pickin’” sauce off the menu. Restaurant manager Natalie Pye said was shocked that the sauce had caused uproar, adding that the name was not intended to offend.
“The inspiration for the restaurant comes from the owner’s time spent in Tennessee and there is absolutely no racist intention behind anything on the menu, it’s supposed to be like a ‘finger lickin’ good’ sort of thing,” Pye added. “We employ a diverse staff and operate diverse recruiting and the idea that we are racist in any way is hurtful to us, we don’t support racism in any way.”
Norwich, the capital of East Anglia, is approximately 100 miles (161 km) northeast of London.
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