- PETA sent a letter and a vegan gift basket to Christopher Storer urging vegan foods and props for The Bear Season 5.
- The organization says vegan swaps can reduce food waste, environmental impact and animal suffering on set.
- PETA notes plant-based alternatives like shelf-stable Cavi-art are practical for filming and safer than real fish eggs.
What PETA asked for
PETA on Dec. 30 sent a letter to The Bear creator and showrunner Christopher Storer asking that any scenes calling for meat, eggs or dairy use vegan stand-ins and props. The nonprofit’s director of animals in film and television, Lauren Thomasson, signed the note and included a basket of luxury vegan items to show how plant-based alternatives can work on camera.
Why PETA thinks it would help
In its message, PETA said swapping animal-derived items for vegan versions would spare animals’ lives, reduce on-set food waste tied to animal products and lower the production’s environmental impact. The group also emphasized practical benefits: certain products, like the fish-free caviar brand Cavi-art, are shelf-stable, more affordable than real fish eggs and pose less contamination risk during shoots.
How the show could use vegan props
PETA clarified it doesn’t expect characters to become vegan or for the audience to necessarily notice the swaps. The request focuses on behind-the-scenes choices — using plant-based meats, dairy-free cheeses, egg alternatives and other nonanimal props in close-up and background cooking scenes when feasible.
Where this fits into The Bear’s production
FX renewed The Bear for a fifth season earlier in the year, and production is gearing up. The show, which follows chef Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto (played by Jeremy Allen White) and his high-pressure kitchen, frequently features food preparation and plated dishes central to its storytelling. That visibility is what PETA highlighted when proposing plant-based options that could replicate the show’s culinary realism.
What PETA sent with the letter
Along with the letter, PETA delivered a curated basket of vegan foods to Storer to demonstrate realistic alternatives. The items included sustainable, fish-free caviar and other high-end animal-free products intended to mirror the look and texture of animal-derived ingredients.
Responses and next steps
As of publication there was no public response from Christopher Storer or FX. PETA presented its suggestion as a voluntary, on-set change aimed at production-level impact: minimizing waste and animal harm while maintaining the show’s visual and culinary standards.
The request adds to a growing trend of advocacy groups offering sustainable-production guidance to film and TV sets. Whether The Bear adopts vegan props for Season 5 will depend on creative choices, prop needs for storytelling and decisions from the show’s production team.
Image Referance: https://parade.com/news/peta-urges-vegan-production-the-bear-season-5
