Row Erupts As Vegan Family Ask Neighbours To Shut Their Windows While Cooking Meat

What started as a quiet suburban request quickly spiralled into a full-blown neighbourhood saga — and then an internet-wide debate.
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In Burns Beach, a coastal suburb in northern Australia, one family’s attempt to tackle an issue with their neighbour has divided opinion far beyond their street. At the centre of it all is a handwritten letter, a clash of lifestyles, and a question that’s clearly struck a nerve: how far is too far when it comes to being a “considerate neighbour”?

The situation began with Sarah, a mother living next door to a household where cooking meat — and the smells that come with it — had become a regular point of tension.

Determined to address it directly, she wrote a polite note to her neighbour, Kylie.

“Hello, Neighbour. Could you please shut your side window when cooking, please?

“My family are vegan (we eat only plant-based foods) and the smell of the meat you cook makes us feel sick and upset. We would appreciate your understanding. Thanks. Sarah, Wayne & Kids.”

Simple, calm, and to the point — but far from universally accepted.

The letter didn’t stay between neighbours for long. After being shared online, it quickly found its way onto Facebook’s Hey Perth page, where it exploded into a heated discussion, racking up hundreds of comments from people firmly split down the middle.

For some, the request crossed a line.

“I would fire up the smoker and do a 12-hour brisket, with a sausage sizzle for lunch thrown in. Entitled much,” one commenter wrote. Another added: “They should go live in the bush. Everyone cooks and some smells I can’t stand but that is outrageous.”

Others piled on with similar sentiments, with more than a few suggesting that the neighbour should double down — quite literally — by firing up a barbecue.

One person typed: “They should respond, ‘Dear Vegangelicals, Will you please shut your window and close your curtains while I am cooking? My family is very sensitive and your self-righteousness is making them feel very sick and nauseous.’”

But not everyone saw it that way. Among the backlash were voices calling for perspective, arguing that the tone of the letter mattered just as much as the request itself.

“Why all the nasty comments?” one user asked. “I’m a meat eater, but she was polite and respectful in her request and it’s not hard to close a window. Why not just be a considerate neighbor and close the window, rather than turning it into a big issue?”

Another pointed to the bigger picture, writing: “This hate talk back and forward is embarrassing. Everyone has different points of view, different ways to live.”

And for some, the solution was simple: decline politely and move on. “Just tell them no and move on from this subject. There’s no need to shame your neighbours over a polite request they sent you in a letter,” one person wrote.

But the story didn’t end there.

According to reports, the initial note was met with silence — and that silence only escalated the situation.

Feeling ignored, the vegan family sent a second, more forceful message. This time, the tone shifted.

“I raised my concerns of the smell of meat making my family feel sick and upset and you go and have a barbecue on Saturday night inviting lots of people, and you knew this would affect me and my family,” the plant-based pontificator wrote.

The frustration was clear, with the family accusing their neighbour of deliberately disregarding their concerns.

Then came another twist. After discovering their letter had gone viral, one member of the household responded with a pointed remark: “My friend Tina told me you took my letter to social media and it backfired on you which is ‘just desserts’.”

“Please, no more BBQs and please keep that window closed when cooking, otherwise I’m going to report you and go to social media too,” the second letter concluded.

By this point, what began as a private exchange had become a public spectacle — and the opinions only grew stronger. One critic summed up the outrage bluntly: “This is unbelievable, they want to tell you how to live in your own home.”

Another took a more balanced view, suggesting both sides had missed the mark: “They are both in the wrong! ! It’s such a shame that this is our society now no commUNITY! ! #1 If you’re asking someone to shut their window just shut your bloody own… #2 You can’t tell another person how to live their lives or what to do, you make the changes for yourself. #3 If your neighbour has asked you something kindly that you don’t agree with address it respectfully like an adult.”

So, whose side are you on? Let us know in the comments.

Featured image credit: WorldManual/Facebook (screenshot)