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Original poster

Would you eat cake baked by a colleague?

180 replies

Seniorschoolmum · 27/04/2019 07:01

Recently someone had a significant birthday, and two colleagues brought in home made cakes. Both beautifully decorated.

Yet a couple of people declined a slice, saying they never eat home cooked anything because they can’t be sure what the food hygiene was like.
I was a bit stunned. Am I just slow on the uptake or is that normal now?
I “get” not eating cake if you’re on a diet or just don’t like cake.

OP posts:
Processedpea · 27/04/2019 07:03

No it's not normal and a bit odd and incredibly rude they could have declined with other reasons !

SuperLoudPoppingAction · 27/04/2019 07:03

I think that's pretty rude.

If I were to refuse I would say I wasn't hungry.
Not 'you might live in a den of cat droppings and used needles and I don't want to choke on one'.

Holdmydrink · 27/04/2019 07:04

Yes, we eat homemade cake & we even have a rota to take it in turn to cook!

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Sculpin · 27/04/2019 07:05

Some people are really funny about germs. Oh well - it just means more cake for the rest of us! Grin

EjectorCrab · 27/04/2019 07:06

Of course I’d eat homemade cake from my colleagues. If I didn’t want cake, I’d say ‘maybe later’ or ask yo take a piece home.

Sickysick · 27/04/2019 07:06

It's quite common for people with OCD to not eat food they haven't prepared. Even people recovering from food poisoning can be wary. It would have been more polite to just say no thank you though.

Jencottage · 27/04/2019 07:06

Unless the colleagues who baked the cake are seriously minging, I think that's rude, odd and little OTT. You can't be sure if a store bought cake full of preservatives and additives has been stored properly either to ensure its hygienic. Homemade tastes much better too.

AgnesNaismith · 27/04/2019 07:06

I would eat it - but wouldn’t want to.

ImFreeToDoWhatIWant · 27/04/2019 07:07

Assuming they're a vaguely functioning adult yes of course I would! Some people are just nuts strange.

ElizabethinherGermanGarden · 27/04/2019 07:07

Wow, that's pretty staggering! They actually gave that reason? To the cake-maker's face?

'Ooh, no thank you - I imagine badgers and slugs live in your kitchen, you hovel-dwelling slattern.'

Something like that?

ChardonnaysPrettySister · 27/04/2019 07:07

It is quite rude.

And stupid to assume all mass produced food is made to the highest hygiene standards. I've seen things in shops that made my skin crawl.

PersonaNonGarter · 27/04/2019 07:09

Some people are obsessed by germs and vocally competitive about cleanliness. Twats.

I mean, who actually says that out loud? Couldn’t they just say ‘no thanks, I’m fine’?

ChardonnaysPrettySister · 27/04/2019 07:09

I probably wouldn't want the cake, I'm not a fan of decorated cakes and often people baking at home use spread instead of butter, but I would accept, it's rude not to.

Original poster
Seniorschoolmum · 27/04/2019 07:13

superloudpoppingaction GrinGrin

Thinking about it, one of them gets through buckets of antibacterial hand rub. Might be a bit germ-phobic

OP posts:
Calledyoulastnightfromglasgow · 27/04/2019 07:14

I only eat home made cake!

I don’t eat shop cake as it’s revolting

People are bonkers

vampirethriller · 27/04/2019 07:14

Yes I would

Hassled · 27/04/2019 07:18

It sort of depends on the colleague. I worked with a lovely woman for a while - but when I went to her house once it was basically a biohazard, absolutely disgustingly filthy even by my pretty lax standards. She used to bring cakes into work and the thought of eating anything that had come out of that kitchen would break me out in a sweat. I wanted to warn the other colleagues but it was all too awkward.
So yes, since then I am a bit wary. But obviously I don't go round inspecting people's kitchens before accepting cake so it is a bit of a gamble.

Purplecatshopaholic · 27/04/2019 07:19

Weirdos! I tend not to eat cake from colleagues as I am gluten free, but if someone has made a gluten free cake, bring it on! Lol

KingPrawnOkay · 27/04/2019 07:23

I’ve only ever refused cake from one person because her cakes used to frequently have cat hair in them from her 17 cats. Except then I went vegan and she baked me a vegan cake especially so I couldn’t say no despite the visible hairs. Confused

SittinOnThaToilet · 27/04/2019 07:26

I don't eat food prepared in strangers' homes. I would decline cake at work and I never eat at slimming World tasting days, but I do lie about my reason so as not to offend. Some people have awful food handling skills.

TheBulb · 27/04/2019 07:26

This is one of the few things I can say I've only ever encountered on Mn -- though I'm aware that this is possibly because people who actually think this in real life are tactful enough to pretend not to like cake or to be on a diet.

It does seem incredibly prissy. Though again, only on Mn have I ever encountered women who are obsessed with household cleanliness.

Pud2 · 27/04/2019 07:27

How rude! Life is too short to be worrying about such things. Would never cross my mind.

Shadycorner · 27/04/2019 07:27

They are being utterly ridiculous and very rude.

And if they are concerned about food hygiene, surely the clue is in the word "baked"... . You are unlikely, I would have thought , to get food poisoning from baked goods (unless it's a tart containing custard that's been left out in warm temperatures or something). Perhaps it's more logical be a bit more concerned about whipped cream inside the cake, or fancy icing that has been breathed on/pored over a lot, but generally speaking, doesn't sugar have a preservative effect, so very sweet things, that have been in the oven for a fairly long time, I would have thought are fairly safe?

Lllot5 · 27/04/2019 07:28

Some people are so rude. Just say no thanks. Anyway more for the rest of you.

LemonRedwood · 27/04/2019 07:28

AgnesNaismith

I would eat it - but wouldn’t want to.

Why would you eat something you don't want to? Surely you could come up with a polite excuse? Even just saying, "Thanks, but I don't eat cake" is more polite than implying the baker has no hygiene standards.