'You people should be banned because you're evil': Wellington woman's extraordinary vegan rant

The rant was shared to Twitter by Sweet Release Cafe in Wellington. Photo / Supplied

Wellington vegan cafe Sweet Release has shared a woman's shocking outburst against their meat-free menu.

The video, posted to Twitter, starts after an elderly woman walked into the bakery and allegedly began abusing staff.

Sweet Release owner Kristine Bartley claimed online that the woman racially abused her: "This lady opened our door, came in yelling about deficiencies, called us 'vaygun' f***wits, I let her rant a bit more then she called me an Asian f***wit and I asked her to leave.

She refused, using the words f***wits again and muttering s*** about me being a foreigner and how I should 'go home'."

The video shows the woman later admitting to using the f-word but denying that it is abuse, saying instead that staff should expect it because they are not receiving enough tryptophans from their food.

Tryptophan is an amino acid found in most protein-based food, from both meat and plant sources.

She also tells Bartley: "'You people should be banned because you're evil."

Told that the video will be shared online, the woman responds saying: "Put it on social media and I hope people learn that vegan is dangerous."

Bartley's cafe shared the exchange on Twitter, writing: "But honestly...my hands are shaking and I feel like bursting into tears. This lady came in from the street and just started yelling at my team calling us f***wits just for existing as a vegan cafe."

Bartley also took to Facebook to share the video, writing: "I work too damn hard for racist, anti vegans to walk through my damn business to abuse me freely. This happens a lot online but has never happened in person.

"Now, you have a glimpse of the behind the scenes I have to deal with on the daily and what many vegans get yelled at just for existing. I was born Asian. I can't help that ok.

"Yes, I choose to be vegan and yes, I choose to own a vegan business. I know that these things are supposed to be something I'm expected to encounter and just deal with. And we do, because there's a bigger picture than a few minutes of a lady yelling at me."

Bartley received support online for sharing the video, with many backing her vegan stance and her decision to release the video.

"So sorry you had to endure this, people really need to educate themselves a little more before throwing negative energy out like this," wrote one woman.

Others criticised the decision to publish the video, arguing that it was "abusive" to share video of the woman who "seems to be unwell".

One Twitter user wrote: "It's called an opinion. You might not agree, but SURELY you can take the odd rant from a little old lady.

Heaven help us if she, as a meat eater, feels as ardent about food as most vegans do. You putting her online is the far more abusive action In my opinion."

The Herald has contacted Sweet Release for comment.