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AIBU?

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Original poster

Please help stop this disgraceful practice.

315 replies

likelysuspect · 17/06/2026 21:49

Greenery on things where it doesnt belong

Ordered baked beans on toast (we'll come back to that) today.

Came with a clump of greenery on top. Salad garni.

What person in their right mind does this?

And OF COURSE it was bloody sourdough. Because NO other bread exists these days. And it was not toasted. It was barely within sight of the toaster I reckon

So it turns up with its green clump and then, to make matters much worse, it came with some butter pats but THE BEANS WERE ALREADY ON THE UNTOASTED TOAST.

So I scraped off my beans to try to spread the butter but of course this was a wasted effort because the butter wouldnt adhere to the untoasted toast due to the bean juice so I ended up just smearing it around while it stuck to my knife.

Anyway back to the greenery. I cant tell you how many bits of rocket have gone flying down the road before when served atop something, because of course a bit of wind will pick up salad and send it flying into the face of an unsuspecting pedestrian.

And dont get me started on bloody pea shoots.

#endgreeneryoverload

YANBU - Garnishing perfectly adequate meals with frilly extras is a performative nonsense to make something out of nothing

YABU - I really like bits of salad on top of a full English and you're only posting this because your OH has the football on anyway and you're bored.

OP posts:
sheisforrealatiger · 17/06/2026 22:35

I absolutely love rocket (and sourdough actually), but beans on toast with rocket on top? NO.

Untoasted bread is the norm in cafes, though, however unappealing it is.

crazeekat · 17/06/2026 22:33

Op u are completely correct, this practice should be condemned worldwide, how many tortoises could those bits of greenery fed alone, without being added to fking beans!!!! Like where tf did it come from? I think find a name and we can sue collectively!

Pieceofpurplesky · 17/06/2026 22:31

I was given sourdough toast the other day that was SO toasted I nearly broke my teeth.
Also, egg sandwich described as just egg was filled with wanky pea shoots. Ugh. I just want proper unwanky food.

Fairyliz · 17/06/2026 22:31

likelysuspect · 17/06/2026 22:04

Its completely unacceptable. But Im British and therefore I smiled sweetly when asked if everything is ok and seethed silently and then started a thread slagging off the practice on a forum.

Show quote history

Glad to see you are keeping British traditions alive; stuff upper lips chaps.

Charlize43 · 17/06/2026 22:30

You can't go through life ungarnished!

A sprinkle of diced parsley... a dollop of sour cream.

My fridge is often empty, bar that jar of capers.

Civilisation would collapse if you can't lob an olive across a crowded bar... Where would we be?

(I am French).

Periperi2025 · 17/06/2026 22:30

There used to be a cafe near me where there were two distinct options on the menu and the staff were very clear on the fact that they were entirely different meals

Beans on toast with grated cheese on top

or

Grilled Cheese on toast with beans on top

Sadly the establishment has been modernised and is now more likely to offer green garnish than such nuanced options (they also took down the nostaligic photo wall of pictures of generations of climbers 😥).

Campervanadventures · 17/06/2026 22:30

Iarthar · 17/06/2026 21:51

I swear there was someone else on here complaining about the baked beans in a community cafe last week. Too spicy or not from a tin or something. Maybe you could start a club? Picket offending establishments?

It was a mum who ordered beans on toast for her one yr old. She didn’t expect them to be spicy and child wouldn’t eat them. I think she wanted a refund. I think she had a point. The fact they were ‘spicy beans’ should have been on the menu

Original poster
likelysuspect · 17/06/2026 22:30

NerdyBird · 17/06/2026 22:26

One of my DH’s pet hates was flowery shit sprinkled on plates. He was fine with appropriate fresh herbs for the dish, but def no flower sprinkles a la Meghan. Garnish just gets wasted 99% of the time anyway.

Oh I forgot about flowery shit too

Yesterday, at a pub, a nice old country pub, ordered a scone.

Firstly, I accepted it wasnt going to be quite up to par as it was whipped cream instead of clotted but I was desperate for a scone and cream, you know how it is, so I accepted this. But the cream came with some strawberries in it and some flowers on it.

It was very nice of course, but flowers. Very pretty, but flowers?

OP posts:
hourspassed · 17/06/2026 22:30

I agree OP it's an absolute travesty. Especially on beans. Were they home made and spicy? (iykyk)

ps come on England!

Hotafternoon · 17/06/2026 22:29

I like sourdough but when you toast it, it's like shrapnel when you try to cut into it, flies off the plate like a speeding bullet.

Baked beans (Branston) I have separately on the plate to the toast and the toast needs plenty of butter on it.

No greenery should be anywhere near this

Shodan · 17/06/2026 22:28

It's not a new thing.

I can remember going to a restaurant 30-odd years ago and ordering scampi and chips (top class establishment, obvs) and the whole plate had been liberally sprinkled with very finely chopped parsley. I didn't like parsley and every single mouthful tasted of it.

It made me very sad 😢

Am totally onboard with the banning of tooth-breaking sourdough bread.

Happyjoe · 17/06/2026 22:28

Lovemycat2023 · 17/06/2026 22:27

Could not agree more about coriander. Nasty soapy stuff.

Show quote history

Agreed. And I loathe rosemary. Ruins a perfectly good focaccia.

Happyjoe · 17/06/2026 22:27

I really like a chunk of toasted sourdough, but it has to be toasted well, almost like it's going to break the teeth well. Beans on top, maybe a little grated cheddar...

But butter after and absolutely no place for any green shit on top. I say that as a lifelong vegetarian..

Lovemycat2023 · 17/06/2026 22:27

IwanttoWFH · 17/06/2026 21:51

You are not being unreasonable. As someone who hates the majority of fresh/raw herbs (coriander being the main culprit) there are an alarming amount of eateries who sprinkle herbs all over everything, too. Most unnecessary (especially when it isn’t mentioned on the menu).

Edited

Could not agree more about coriander. Nasty soapy stuff.

MrsShawnHatosy · 17/06/2026 22:26

Carouseloflife · 17/06/2026 22:10

I hate the beans on the toast, soggy toast is yuck

Yes, I always cut the toast in half, diagonally of course, and put the beans in the middle so most of the toast stays crisp.

NerdyBird · 17/06/2026 22:26

One of my DH’s pet hates was flowery shit sprinkled on plates. He was fine with appropriate fresh herbs for the dish, but def no flower sprinkles a la Meghan. Garnish just gets wasted 99% of the time anyway.

oviraptor21 · 17/06/2026 22:25
  1. Baked beans are an abomination so YABU to order them in any shape or form.
  2. Greenery is good in all shapes and forms. Don't get me started on serving a pasta dish or pizza without any greenery. Or a jacket potato. Or countless other dishes.
  3. You are right about sourdough. Just give me some normal bread for a change.
Brideofclover · 17/06/2026 22:24

I voted yabu because of your description about being bored - and I LOVE pea shoots 🤣🤣🤣🤣
that said, anyone who served me beans on toast with a clump of greenery on top and un buttered barely toasted bread I would (just like you) smile sweetly and seethe on the inside and probably make a thread about it on mumsnet 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣❤️

Hedgehogforshort · 17/06/2026 22:24

I love this thread.

Piglet89 · 17/06/2026 22:22

likelysuspect · 17/06/2026 21:49

Greenery on things where it doesnt belong

Ordered baked beans on toast (we'll come back to that) today.

Came with a clump of greenery on top. Salad garni.

What person in their right mind does this?

And OF COURSE it was bloody sourdough. Because NO other bread exists these days. And it was not toasted. It was barely within sight of the toaster I reckon

So it turns up with its green clump and then, to make matters much worse, it came with some butter pats but THE BEANS WERE ALREADY ON THE UNTOASTED TOAST.

So I scraped off my beans to try to spread the butter but of course this was a wasted effort because the butter wouldnt adhere to the untoasted toast due to the bean juice so I ended up just smearing it around while it stuck to my knife.

Anyway back to the greenery. I cant tell you how many bits of rocket have gone flying down the road before when served atop something, because of course a bit of wind will pick up salad and send it flying into the face of an unsuspecting pedestrian.

And dont get me started on bloody pea shoots.

#endgreeneryoverload

YANBU - Garnishing perfectly adequate meals with frilly extras is a performative nonsense to make something out of nothing

YABU - I really like bits of salad on top of a full English and you're only posting this because your OH has the football on anyway and you're bored.

What the fuck is wrong with the world?

GrandTheftWalrus · 17/06/2026 22:22

My usual go to breakfast when at wetherspoons is miners benedict. But it comes with rocket on it. I used to pick it off and moan but I actually quite like it now.

DreamingOfGeneHunt · 17/06/2026 22:20

Oh I am absolutely with you. Get your floppy curly nonsense leaves off my hot beans. And
I bet the butter portions were also too cold to spread.

Original poster
likelysuspect · 17/06/2026 22:19

MrsMoastyToasty · 17/06/2026 22:08

Was it at a Wanky Hipster Cafe? If it was, therein lies the problem. What you need to do is to eat at a Greasy Caff if you want baked beans on proper (white sliced) bread.

It wasnt at a Wanky Hipster Cafe (WHC) but it wasnt a greasy spoon (RIP) either.

Seems like you cant go anywhere these days and get a decent basic.

OP posts:
MsGreying · 17/06/2026 22:15

I had toasted sourdough with a breakfast once. It was impossible to eat.

FudgeSundae · 17/06/2026 22:14

Totally agree about the butter. I like butter on avocado toast but if you dare ask for it all the hippie cafes look
at you like you’re nuts and go “but it’s vegan!” Well but I’m not! And then they bring you a pat of butter on the side. Ridiculous.