Waitrose telling me how many calories I can have!

NotAGran55 please read my post carefully as that is exactly my point! Pie and chips was not on the menu - then why ask for it?
You also say he could have ordered a regular meal with a side order of chips - why not do that then?
(Say that the pie was for him and the chips for you)

I am still totally

I am still
You say he could have bought a regular meal and stuck a portion of chips on the side?
Why didn’t he?
But unless I have totally misunderstood, you also say Pie and chips was not on the menu so , why ask for it?

Waitrose (and its partner, John Lewis) is/are in severe financial trouble and this virtue signalling will be part of the reason why. They refuse to give even ecologically acceptable paper bags though they are willing to sell a plastic bag to whoever wants one. In the case of my last shopping trip - where I brought my own bags - everyone ahead of me bought new bags.

Additionally, they are pushing 'Veganuary' (with its associated massive profit margins compared to those of meat products) and most of the food ends up being neglected and yellow stickered.

Their well publicised spat with their food magazine editor, William Sitwell, whom they fired for teasing a vegan exposed their soi disant 'principles'.

As for telling paying customers what to eat in their cafe, words fail me.

They are a business and they should be listening to their cutomers not preaching to them. If they carry on in this way they will fail.

gagsy
me too I said to my DH the other day that I felt I no longer could fit in with the world they way things are evolving.

ladymuck

No, we do not live in a dictatorship.

Certain people have a greater calorific demand eg third trimester pregnancy, post surgery, certain thyroid conditions - are they factoring in those additional calorie demands. Not everyone fits the mould.
Also, if I want a highly calorific meal when I feel like it why the he'll shouldn't I. Most days I don't eat anywhere near 2000 kcal.

Sometimes I think I’m living on another planet

I have been in a few Waitrose cafes - not many - and have yet to see one that serves chips; is this a new thing? (Strictly speaking of course, it seems Waitrose doesn't serve chips ) This is incredible situation - what happens if the customer insists? Is that person escorted from the premises, or forced to have a salad?

Can’t test it out as our local Waitrose has closed. Another sign of the John Lewis Partnership losing it’s way. Written advice on nutrition and calories is fine but policing what you eat is certainly not. Another indication of our ‘nanny’ state?

Are they planning to inspect our trolleys at the till and remove items if they think we have too many unhealthy products?

Oh dear that is so patronizing, I’m sure will soon stop. After all if they are so health conscious don’t sell pies and chips. But to sell them and then have the audacity tell people they are wrong! It’s like how they withdrew their 5p bags (the 5p didn’t go to them) and sell bin liners for twice as much. Why not invest the money in degradable plastic bags or paper ones or perhaps deducting money for reusing. Instead they sell paper caddy liners at 17.5p each. It’s the hypocrisy that grates. I love the free guardian though.

They need to concentrate on the younger generations.
Knee jerk reaction from Waitrose
Implement it right from the foundation
If I remember correctly wasnt the chef Oliver
trying to do this sometime ago ..

Meant to say told them but my computer changed it . Another thing that thinks you can't think for yourself .

I would of good them to stick it and gone else where .

How dare they! Ok, tell us if the calories are high but they have no right to dictate. I would have walked out!

Surely this is a wind-up! Since when did cafes dictate what people should be allowed to eat?
If genuine, I know we live in a dictatorship but this is taking things too far.

That sounds very reasonable Siobhan
I don't go in Wetherspoons often, in fact I haven't been in one for years but there are often large family parties in.
I have never seen a problem thank goodness.

This is my local Waitrose too so I have tweeted them for a comment!

annsixty I saw a thread on Mumsnet about this and it seems it is down to the manager’s discretion, and has come about because of particular situations where a family group(s) had a lot to drink and were kicking off/not overseeing rampaging children/brawling etc.

To digress but on the same subject of choice or policing, Wetherspoons are either implementing ,or considering, not allowing parents eating with children more than 2 alcoholic drinks.

I’m a bit confused - does the café not serve chips at all, so that is why he couldn’t have them with his pie?
And the reason they don’t serve chips at all is that they’re too high in calories? So they weren’t actually policing his food choice?
But if none of the above applies then please leave an excoriating review on Trip Advisor, there are plenty of reviews for various Waitrose cafés and restaurants, eg Waitrose Cheltenham. .

Wow really - i can see them loosing customers through this

Thanks Ohmother My error - I meant pie or chips . I haven’t ever seen chips in any Waitrose cafe . I’m not a pie eater so may not have registered them on a menu and have never smelled chips in any branch.

But back to the point of your post - it is outrageous - and I’m a huge JL / Waitrose fan and rarely shop anywhere else .

Are you going to take it up with them ?

So can you explain in a bit more detail please ohmother? Did you ask for pie and chips (something that wasn’t on the menu) and the person behind the counter serving refused the order because there were too many calories in that dish? Or did something else happen?

How dare Waitrose dictate. I’m a Waitrose shopper and will test this, and if necessary take it up with Head Office. It’s a disgrace.