Waitrose telling me how many calories I can have!

When I wanted a gf roll with soup once in Waitrose, I was told I would have to go and pick up a packet of rolls from the shelf in the shop and bring them back to the cafe.
I therefore had to leave the queue and trek back through the shop and pay for a pack of four when I just wanted one.

I have now had a reply on Twitter from "Dean" of "Waitrose & Partners" "We must detail on our menus and meal options the calorific content and a full list of ingedients, highlighting anything that may create an allergic reaction. Ad hoc changes to the menu or meal options will render them inaccurate, so to minimise risky and comply with legislation our coffee shops are not able to make these changes."

That’s as clear as mud Dean! So nothing about it being company policy to refuse to serve certain dishes if the calorie content is deemed to be too high?

I've never seen a menu^ per se, just a board at the counter.

No specific allergies listed or gluten free rolls offered either!!

They are, however, offering 25% off cookies at the moment if bought with a drink


Calorie controlled of course.

When the chips are down it's all pie in the sky, a bit of a mash up really.

It's just the way the cookie crumbles

Do you mean they wouldn't sell it to you Because it was too high in calories. I've never seen that before? I do find it interesting to know how many calories are in a dish but I've never heard of a cafe refusing to sell something because its too high in calories

So, can't have your cake and eat it.

To those who say why didn’t he order a side order of chips. He was being carb and waste (as opposed to weight) conscious and didn’t see why he should buy something he wouldn’t eat. He had ordered me lasagne and chips off the menu on the board on the wall. I guess it’s only the larger restaurants that serve chips then. Our smaller local one doesn’t.

Think I've got the gist of 'Dean of Waitrose's' reply!

Basically you were trying to eat 'off-menu' and as Waitrose have listed the calorie content/allergens, etc. for each specific meal e.g. Pie & chips (800 calories) if you have mash instead of chips then the calorie content would be incorrect.

You'd know that though, or not be bothered if you were not watching your intake.

I don't know why Waitrose is making life hard work for their staff and irritating for customers - it's not yet compulsory for calories to be listed for each item of food in a cafe/restaurant is it?

I am confused Dean, what risk is there in changing calorie info when the customer is well aware that it would be different from on the menu?

To those who say why didn’t he order a side order of chips. He was being carb and waste (as opposed to weight) conscious

Come off it!
The carbs in the mash and pie hardly suggest “carb consciousness” and as for “waste” you could have ordered the pie without mash - or better still, the salad option.

Or, he could have been given what he wanted.. easier still.

I was refused a plain jacket potato as 'it wasn't on the menu'! They did have jackets with various fillings so would it have been so hard not to put anything in it?

BlueSky


Ps I am blaming you for my coughing fit!!

AM SPEECHLESS.....never heard anything like it! I am itching to visit a Waitrose restaurant now to order, pie, chips, and mashed followed by sticky toffee pudding and ice cream!!!!

I mean I can understand this in a Health Spa where people pay to have their calorie intake monitored but.....really? Waitrose?

What will we get next then? McDonalds stating you can have a burger without a bun if you want fries? Oh and no puddings if you want fries?

Sorry Callistemon!

Riverwalk - that sounds like a very plausible explanation, I’ll bet money that’s what happened.

Wish pubs etc would start doing that. Can you imagine being told the glass of beer has too many calories to go with the packet of crisps! Or you have to have low calorie mixers in your g & t.

I’d actually quite like it if pubs and restaurants starting showing the calorie content of everything they served! I’m trying (unsuccessfully) to shift some weight by eating less and exercising more after hitting the menopause and putting on weight for the first time in my life. I am horrified at the number of calories in foods that seem quite innocuous (that’s my actual face when I see the numbers)

Riverwalk's explanation sounds the most likely, but if so, what do Waitrose think they are doing?

I have yet to go into a restaurant that will not make a simple adjustment to a dish at a customer's request. Mashed potatoes being popular these days and as I do not like them, I always ask if I can swap them for potato in another form. I usually look down the menu to see what the restaurant offers, usually it is chips, but sometimes boiled and occasionally baked or roasted. My request has never been refused.

Are we going to be told that we have to accept every dish as made up and calorie counted and cannot add or subtract anything from it.

What about those coffee and tea breaks with a delicious cream cake. Will they be banned?

Many chain eateries have the calorie count for every dish on their website, so it is possible to plan a meal out in advance.

I don’t think Waitrose actually refused to serve them - although it’s a bit vague. It sounds like a bit of a jobsworth was trying to ensure that they only sold items as advertised - a sort of ‘no you can’t have double beans in place of the mushrooms on your 5 item breakfast’ type thing. It was badly handled though.