Surrey store Farrants accused of racism over ‘unacceptable’ tobacco plantation image behind counter

A shop in Surrey has been accused of racism over an “unacceptable” image which appears to show black people working on a tobacco plantation overseen by white men.

Farrants in Cobham is being urged to remove the “incredibly triggering” picture, which covers a wall behind a cash desk and includes the words “we sell tobacco”.

Misan Harriman, the chairman of London’s Southbank Centre and a photographer who is a friend of Prince Harry and Meghan, criticised Farrants after visiting the store while shopping for toys for his daughters, adding: “I can’t believe what I just saw.”

Former Chelsea footballer Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink said on social media he had previously complained about the same issue in 2020 – and was told the store would “replace” the large sepia image.

Mr Harriman, who has taken portraits of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex – including Princess Lilibet for her first birthday – and who is also an ambassador of Save the Children UK, posted a video on Twitter which has been shared thousands of times.

He said: “I saw the most triggering thing, I’ve just come in to try and get toys for my girls, and I just saw the most incredibly triggering imagery. Luckily, my children are not with me.

“There’s a huge image – of what looks like a tobacco plantation with four broken men, black men that look like me, and their white overseers – hugely at the place where you pay.”

He added: “So this shop, in the middle of a Surrey high street, thinks it’s normal to have that type of imagery next to where I could go and buy toys for my children… in 2023.

“I don’t shock easy. I can’t believe what I just saw.”

He wrote in the post: “This is in a family store, this imagery is massive triggering and racist. And there is no conceivable reason it should be there!”

Following Mr Harriman’s video, Mr Hasselbaink wrote on Instagram: “Stories come and go. This needs some attention (Farrants), I think it’s time you followed through on your word from 2020 and replaced this image.”

On its website, Farrants says the shop has been a “familiar site” in Cobham High Street since 1896 and has a specialist tobacco room selling cigars and accessories.

The BBC reported Farrants has a poster next to the picture explaining why the store chose to display it.

It reads: “This image was selected as the main display feature in our store to honour, respect and recognise the ground-breaking work undertaken by all those involved in the development of the iconic Havana cigars available in our Tobacco Room today.

“The photograph, which we have cropped for our display, was taken at the Pinar del Rio plantation in 1907 and is one of the earliest examples of shade grown tobacco cultivation.

“Unlike other crop harvesting industries, the tobacco plantation owners of Cuba refused to use slave labour, insisting instead on employing free men.”

Sky News has contacted Farrants for a comment.