Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Women sniffing bakery item in Lidl

53 replies

Baconrollplease · 28/05/2026 20:36

I found myself in Lidl today. I was initially quite impressed, as haven’t been to Lidl in many years. It looked much smarter than I remember. However, my initial delight was somewhat squashed as I walked past a woman in the bakery aisle whom picked up an item using the tongs of course, but then proceeded to sniff it. And I mean really sniff it, like it was a centimetre away from her nose, then return it to the thing that it was sitting in. I was somewhat disgusted and I don’t know if this is reasonable or not. I’m not a germophobia in general, but I certainly won’t be buying any bakery products from that Lidl anytime soon.

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
InveterateWineDrinker · 29/05/2026 22:49

Last year I saw a woman put her hand into the Lidl bakery display and squeeze every single item in that section, before deciding she didn't want one after all. When I called her out, her response was "my hands are clean."

Fortunately, I'm quite loud and the staff all know me. The entire lot was binned and the woman asked to leave.

Mycarsmellsoflavender · 29/05/2026 22:42

Eeeuuww.

This thread has reminded me that whenever I shop at Tesco on a Sunday afternoon, they wheel out all the bakery products that are on their best before date on a large plastic shelved trolley priced at 75% off. There are some great bargains but I can never bring myself to buy the posh loaves because they don’t have any wrapping other than a paper strip around the middle with the rest of the loaf resting on the trolley surface and on top of that being handled by the other bargain snafflers. Such a shame because they look really nice.

Decacaffeinatednow · 29/05/2026 22:13

I was in marks and Spencers recently - a child of about 9 was licking multiple bakery items. That’s it for me buying unwrapped stuff.

utterflapdoodle · 29/05/2026 22:10

Has nobody read Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events? The woman in question was clearly a Cakesniffer!

Lmnop22 · 29/05/2026 17:20

BombayMixIsTheBestMix · 29/05/2026 12:06

So she could have been from any former Soviet country or just a Duolingo fan then… 🙈 But that wouldn’t fit with anti-Russian sentiment I guess.

Or maybe it’s a reasonable assumption she’s Russian 🤷🏼‍♀️ if she had been speaking Swedish and pp said “a Swedish woman….” you wouldn’t have picked up on it.

You’re the one creating disharmony, not pp!

DecisionTime123 · 29/05/2026 17:17

I love this thread, top quality Friday foof stuff, and it's international to boot. Oh those Russians.

Anyway, my contribution - I saw a croissant on the floor in Lidl but not to worry, a member of staff picked it up and tossed it back into the croissant section, so it wasn't wasted was it?

DecisionTime123 · 29/05/2026 17:14

Nomura · 29/05/2026 16:23

Why the mention that she was Russian? she's a skank, whether Russian or not.

is Ariana Grande Russian?

DecisionTime123 · 29/05/2026 17:14

sprigatito · 28/05/2026 21:03

How did you know she was Russian? And why did you think we needed to know it?

is that what you took away from that as what I want to know is how come Ariana Grande was in Lidl.

HedgehogsOnTheWall · 29/05/2026 17:12

NotTheOrdinary · 29/05/2026 14:38

Was she Russian though?

Oh, I miss the laugh reaction! 😁

mondaytosunday · 29/05/2026 16:44

Y’all think the bakery items arrived there without being handled by several staff workers? Even if wearing gloves those gloves are on them while they scratch their nose or pick up a crate or several other items. Germs are everywhere just get over it.

Nomura · 29/05/2026 16:23

YelramBob · 28/05/2026 20:49

Was it Ariana Grande? She was caught licking doughnuts in Lidl a few years ago.

Also skank-related Lidl gross-ness: at the start of the pandemic I saw a Russian woman opening the packets of face masks and trying them on. Dirty bitch 🤢

Why the mention that she was Russian? she's a skank, whether Russian or not.

toomuchfaff · 29/05/2026 15:49

JacquesHarlow · 28/05/2026 21:14

No one needs to use the word "foof". Jesus wept.

unclench and let go of the pearls... its a word; thats all.

ComtesseDeSpair · 29/05/2026 15:22

This thread is bringing me so much more irreverent mirth than I was expecting when I opened it. It has a bit of everything!

ETA: it also puts me in mind of the glorious former Redditor, “Poem For Your Sprog” and his ode to the health inspector approved, bread-licking cow: https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/598qrb/comment/d96si4d/?context=3

Overtheatlantic · 29/05/2026 15:17

This thread is demented 😆

LauritaEvita · 29/05/2026 15:16

ThePieceHall · 29/05/2026 15:02

Why are they allowing dogs in a supermarket?

No clue. She gets one of the staff to hold the dog’s lead while she’s doing self service, so it’s not like they’re not aware.

LadyWiddiothethird · 29/05/2026 15:15

I never buy unwrapped cakes or bread,yuck.Don’t understand how it is still allowed.

Wolfcut · 29/05/2026 15:14

I saw a tiktok of mice dancing around bakery baskets in one of those supermarket bakeries. Just get a packet of pastry, some nutella or grated cheese and make them!

NotTheOrdinary · 29/05/2026 15:14

Catwalking · 29/05/2026 15:12

people who hijack threads should forfeit their membership for a week.

Try & stay to the point, it’s not difficult 🧐.

🚨Thread police alert

Wolfcut · 29/05/2026 15:12

auserna · 29/05/2026 15:10

Go to Waitrose. People who shop there know how to use the word "whom" properly.

😂😂 clever dig
Uno reverse op! 🔁

Catwalking · 29/05/2026 15:12

ohyesido · 29/05/2026 13:48

she was speaking Russian? Someone called her Olga? She was wearing a fur hat?

people who hijack threads should forfeit their membership for a week.

Try & stay to the point, it’s not difficult 🧐.

Wolfcut · 29/05/2026 15:10

Why do people keep saying our Poonani smells of 🐟🐠??? It doesn't and I eat fish weekly.

auserna · 29/05/2026 15:10

Go to Waitrose. People who shop there know how to use the word "whom" properly.

FeliciaFancybottom · 29/05/2026 15:08

Dollymylove · 29/05/2026 14:15

Tuna wallet 🤣🤣

Are you a woman? Are you suggesting that female genitals smell like fish? If yours does, may I suggest a doctor? If it doesn't, may I suggest you shove your misogynistic bullshit where the sun doesn't shine.

ThePieceHall · 29/05/2026 15:02

LauritaEvita · 29/05/2026 13:41

A woman in the Lidl local to my work lifts her dog up to smell the bakery items. I will
never buy anything from there for this reason.

Why are they allowing dogs in a supermarket?

Namechangedoverandover · 29/05/2026 14:53

Another customer in M&S had one of those bread items that only have those slim cardboard tubes on so most of the bread doesn't have any packaging on them.

She then placed the bread in the packing area of a self service till. An area where bags are placed which, may have been retrieved from dirty car boots, or placed the ground. Gross!

I just thought of any poor guests being offered that. If they knew they would surely be politely declining it when offered to them.