7 May 2014updated 24 Jun 2021 1:00pm

Why the Sun’s “Halal Secret of Pizza Express” isn’t a secret at all

This morning, the paper has splashed with a story about the chain serving halal chicken, but having been reported last year and detailed on the Pizza Express website, it’s already in the public domain.

By Media Mole

Front page: After Subway ditches pork, Pizza Express now found to be using only halal chicken: https://t.co/PeO3H292fj pic.twitter.com/APf2gYUnrf

— The Sun (@TheSunNewspaper) May 7, 2014

The Sun has ended up with egg on its face with its splash this morning, claiming to reveal exclusively that the restaurant chain Pizza Express serves only halal chicken.

But there’s just one thing (aside from the ludicrously alarmist tone of a story conjured up to give diners a slice of Islamophobia): it’s not a secret.

The Guardian reported last year that Pizza Express uses halal-approved chicken, as did the Independent, which reported: “Restaurant chains that are changing their menus include Pizza Express, which uses only halal chicken.”

And the chain itself, in the FAQs on its website, says:

All our restaurants serve pork, beef and chicken. All our chicken is Halal approved but it is important to note that all birds are stunned before being slaughtered. Our chicken supplier is accredited by the British Retail Consortium. This means it meets the global standard for food safety and legality.

So to vaguely rephrase the old dilemma: which came first, the halal chicken in the Sun, or the truth, everywhere else?

Well, at least we know where the egg ended up.