Litchfield Motel turns anti-discrimination complaint over cheeky parmi slogan into an important fundraiser

THE Litchfield Motel has turned a complaint over a cheeky slogan for their chicken schnitzels around in the ‘breast’ way possible, by putting a dollar from every schnitty sold in February towards breast cancer research.

THE Litchfield Motel has turned a complaint over a cheeky slogan for their chicken schnitzels around in the “breast” way possible, by putting a dollar from every schnitty sold in February towards breast cancer research.

The motel staff were initially shocked and saddened when notified of a complaint over a slogan on their bar saying ‘how do you like your breasts’, alluding to their schnitzels and parmigianas which are made from chicken breasts.

“We don’t want to offend people but we don’t see how a play on words, a pun that relates to chicken breasts and the toppings that go on your parmis has so much of an effect they go to anti-discrimination,” Litchfield Motel’s Little Ripper Cafe Bar and Bistro manager Roisin McElwee said.

“It was brought to light as a talking point, a second glance sort of thing that makes you turn and go ‘ha, look at that’.”

Ms McElwee said she felt the complaint had gone against the Australian spirit of supporting local businesses.

The Litchfield Motel is putting a dollar from every chicken schnitzel sold in February towards breast cancer research after receiving a complaint over a cheeky slogan for the dish. Picture: Supplied

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“We’re really upset, really hurt by it because we’re a new business venture starting up in a very hard year and then for something so small that is a humorous thing, a play on words, it’s actually quite hurtful,” she said.

“The magnitude is very minimal compared to what’s going on in the world. All my family in England are in lockdown … count your blessings rather than picking on a small family business.”

After conversations with several customers yesterday, two of whom were breast cancer survivors who had no issues with the slogan, Ms McElwee said they wouldn't be taking it down and had turned it into a positive.

“What we’ve decided to do is donate $1 per schnitzel to breast cancer research for February,” Ms McElwee.

“We’ve turned it into a positive, through this if people can come and support us that would be amazing.”

Ms McElwee said her advice was that at this point in proceedings, the business had to decide if they thought the complaint warranted a change but were not bound by legislation.

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“In the NT there’s no law that stipulates us to take it down. It’s up to us to decide if it’s a warranted complaint,” she said.

The NT Anti Discrimination Commission said they were unable to make any comment until Commissioner Sally Sievers returned from leave later this week.