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AIBU?

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Original poster

To wonder if this happens anywhere else? Food related.

94 replies

girlfriend44 · 13/08/2026 10:07

Our library has its own cafe. When it's very hot they don't have any hot food available to eat. There's a sign saying no hot food today due to the weather, too hot for staff to be dealing with hot food. Words to that affect.
Sandwiches, and cake available.

Are they being unreasonable. Do other places do this?

OP posts:
ThatWasGreek · 13/08/2026 18:24

Maybe they aren’t losing money. My brother has a restaurant. He knows when it will be busy and when it won’t because he’s experienced. If a business knows they won’t sell hot food because it’s 36 degrees, then why would they prep any? That’s how you lose money.

likelysuspect · 13/08/2026 18:17

Jaimelefromage · 13/08/2026 18:14

No, I have lived in multiple hot countries and they do indeed serve hot food. However often they have air conditioning.
Also, because one country does something, doesn’t mean another is obliged to follow suit.

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Not everywhere has air con and rarely in the kitchens

Its just a question, not sure why people are answerng on this thread in such an uppity manner. Is it the heat?

Jaimelefromage · 13/08/2026 18:14

likelysuspect · 13/08/2026 18:09

Its a 'chat' forum, where people pose queries, questions, curiosities, musings

OP I wonder what they do in very hot countries because Ive never seen this in Spain or Greece in these temperatures.

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No, I have lived in multiple hot countries and they do indeed serve hot food. However often they have air conditioning.
Also, because one country does something, doesn’t mean another is obliged to follow suit.

purplecorkheart · 13/08/2026 18:13

Yes a few local businesses do this when it is hot. Well done them. Most of them have small kitchens that must get unbearably hot during this weather. They are also the kind of places where if there is a bad ice some mornings will delay opening until the staff can get in safely.

Octavia64 · 13/08/2026 18:10

Yes a couple of places local to me do this.

east Anglia

likelysuspect · 13/08/2026 18:09

ChocolateCinderToffee · 13/08/2026 11:01

Then why raise this?

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Its a 'chat' forum, where people pose queries, questions, curiosities, musings

OP I wonder what they do in very hot countries because Ive never seen this in Spain or Greece in these temperatures.

Minasama · 13/08/2026 18:06

My friend works in a cafe kitchen and the temperature has been 40 degrees on the hot days this summer. I don’t know how she manages it.

Cookiesunderthesofa · 13/08/2026 18:05

Probably risk assessed as too hot in tiny kitchen for people to be cooking

and also supply and demand - I would imagine majority of people will want sandwiches and salads in this boiling hot weather rather than a plate of hot food.

concertinacornflake · 13/08/2026 17:59

girlfriend44 · 13/08/2026 10:14

Not worried about losing money then?

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Yes they probably are, but more concerned about staff welfare and risk of ill health.

One local chip shop closes due to increased risk of equipment faults and fires.

We're not really ready for these impacts of climate change, but a bit of tolerance goes a long way. People are trying their best.

Kokonimater · 13/08/2026 17:56

Why have you raised this issue?
do you have a point?

CremeEggsForBreakfast · 13/08/2026 16:55

girlfriend44 · 13/08/2026 10:14

Not worried about losing money then?

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They'd lose more money to a court case when their staff suffer heat stroke or something due to working in extreme temperatures.

Pancakeflipper · 13/08/2026 16:52

Our local bakery/pizza shop has said no pizzas tonight - they can't get the dough right the heat.

Kitchens must be one of the worst place to be today..... just think of all that swears dropping from noses and chils onto your food..

CheeseyOnionPie · 13/08/2026 16:47

Sounds totally fine. The staff should not have to work in a hot kitchen in a heatwave. Anyway, who wants to eat steaming hot soup on a day like today?

itsgettingweird · 13/08/2026 16:43

I just went to sainburys and although cool inside they had blinds down on all the fridges.

So seems reasonable to me not to make their staff and customers more hot by turning on ovens and toasters etc.

Bikenutz · 13/08/2026 16:42

Each business will risk assess for their staff, review what their customers might want (or not) and make a plan.

No one can tell you if your local takeaways will be open or not.

rainbowstardrops · 13/08/2026 16:41

You’re just being goady. Maybe go and sit inside with some ice-cream or something.

quirkychick · 13/08/2026 16:38

PatNoodle · 13/08/2026 10:10

They aren't being unreasonable. Some of our local pubs, cafes and takeaways are doing the same. It's unbearably hot in a commercial kitchen once they've got the fryers/ovens etc running. Good on them for putting their staff first

this

As someone who spent one (hot) summer working in a kitchen, I agree - it was extremely hot. It was many years ago and not even as hot as this heatwave. I feel very sorry for anyone working in a kitchen in this weather!

WearingBeautifulShoes · 13/08/2026 16:36

I've not seen this anywhere else but it seems very sensible and fair.

ApplePieCinamon · 13/08/2026 16:36

girlfriend44 · 13/08/2026 10:22

Who said I wanted hot food?

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fhen why are you so uptight about this. Complaining about no hot food, when you didn’t want any?

Jaimelefromage · 13/08/2026 16:36

The question is, why is it bothering you so much OP?

chirrupybird · 13/08/2026 16:35

girlfriend44 · 13/08/2026 15:58

Do takeaways all close tonight? Just wondered.

They probably should if the temperature doesn't drop significantly, no fun cooking in an already red hot building. I'm just starting cooking dinner and it's already roasting in my kitchen and I don't have a load of industrial fryers going.

BalakayAARon · 13/08/2026 16:34

My student DS works in a McDonald's kitchen. Luckily it is a fairly new build and it has air-conditioning, so service is unaffected in our current 32° heat.

YABU. Good on the managers and owners making the safe decisions for their staff.

chirrupybird · 13/08/2026 16:32

girlfriend44 · 13/08/2026 10:14

Not worried about losing money then?

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Just have a sandwich, do you really need hot food on a hot day in a hot building? Most people would just go for the cold alternatives. And cooks are human too.

SerendipityCat · 13/08/2026 16:26

girlfriend44 · 13/08/2026 15:58

Do takeaways all close tonight? Just wondered.

You’re just being contentious for the sake of it. Why should any of it bother you if you don’t want hot food, anyway?

Raindropskeepfallingon · 13/08/2026 16:21

Our library cafe is staffed by mostly volunteers, most of them either retired or with disabilities. They do it because it’s a sociable bit of volunteering and they just wouldn’t do it if it involved excessive heat. They are in fact completely closed today. So far as I can tell on local Facebook nobody has died because they had to go without a jacket potato or the usual Thursday chilli con carne special.

As for making money - it almost certainly doesn’t. It’s a charity, lots of these sorts of places are.