Would you eat cake baked by a colleague?

[Seniorschoolmum]

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.

I would because my colleagues are good bakers and have good hygiene but I'd never eat home baking from an unknown source like at the school bake sales. I remember they were trying to sell home baking at the carol concerts one year in the middle of a norovirus outbreak, I think you'd have to be mad to have eaten anything then yet lots of people were buying them. I am generally a bit obsessive about food hygiene though, don't particularly like eating out and never order take-aways, I have a friend who lives off them and she always seems to have stomach issues.

I would politely decline, luckily I’m vegan so I can use that as an excuse, if the cake was vegan I would however still say no (home or shop made) as it would mean forgoing my lunch or dinner due to the calories.

My BIL baked a cake for my DH which was thoughful but was spoilt when he cut it up having just come in from having a cigarette. Gross

No, sorry, don't understand that one at all.
Too weird.

I don't think it's just a MN thing. I think there's a lot of us out there who feel utterly weird about someone else's home baked offerings, but thankfully few who would verbalise it!

I think mine stem from a couple of instances of having tea at friend's houses in the 80's and projectile vomiting afterwards. One was Mac Cheese (in their bathroom/right up the wall) and the other some carrot & turnip which has been microwaved (reappeared in the car on the way home).
I didn't think of these friends as having dirty houses...but I'm still remembering the exorcist style evacuations 30yrs later. That made me a bit this way I think.

There's a woman at work who has really, really bad eczema, and I know she struggles with it. I would too. It must be very difficult to manage. It's all around her work station, despite her best efforts and honestly I'd struggle to eat any baked goods she brought in because of this issue. I'd never, ever be so rude as to make her think that for a second though....

I normally would eat cake if someone brought some in.

If I didn't want to for whatever reason I'd just say I wasn't hungry, but thanks for offering.

Yes, some people's hygiene is dreadful but most will just be standard and you can't avoid all germs it's not possible nor is it good for creating resistance.

There are some right weirdos on here!

Ive genuinely never encountered this attitude before in real life, ever. Home made always tastes better than mass produced shop bought stuff. I'd think someone who turned down a slice of cake for the reasons states in the OP, was not only fucking rude but a monumental twat and make a mental note to avoid for there on.

Who the fuck gets food poisoning from a cake ffs?!

Was your colleague a mumsnetter?

I actually think it's quite brave they told the truth about this....

I actually think it quite rude or that the person is socially maladjusted

There was a lady on the school PTA, everyone knew her house was a bomb site yet she would always make cakes for cake sales, always used to ask who made which cake and never ate any of hers

From the state of our work kitchen and colleagues desks, I’m willing to bet some of their kitchens are fucking grim not clean to a standard I’d deem acceptable.

I have a robust immune system though, so if the cake’s enticing, I’m in.

I think this would be v bad manners and its easy enough to think of another reason without hurting someones feelings.

If you have low immunity and don't want to be ill, I see their point.

l used to take home made cakes in for my shift. They never lasted long! And knowing my lot, if anybody had declined, somebody else would have had it.

When we were kids an elderley relative used to bake a disgusting cake especially for us when she knew we were coming. Me and Dsis really hated it but it felt rude not to accept. It was a standing joke between us who could crumble it over a pot plant/under a bowl/into a napkin first. No idea what her kitchen hygeine was like.

I think that’s staggeringly rude.

However I’m a fat bastard and would eat cake baked by a swamp monster

@Tavannach - weird cos I thought it was gross or weird that he thought touching cake after a cigarette was ok?

It is fine to decline someone’s home baking but to do so and openly speculate on the baker’s kitchen cleanliness is just plain rude.

I’d eat home baked food if it looked/smelled appetising.

Whoever said ‘home made always tastes better than shop bought’ obviously hasn’t tasted my attempts at cake making.

@amusedbush

I used to work with someone who would never eat ANYTHING anyone else brought in, even shop bought “I can’t be sure they’ve kept it hygienic” she’d say. She often brought in her own home made cakes... and they were delicious but I turned a slice down once because I’d actually eaten a big lunch and she went crazy calling me rude! But it was fine for her to refuse to eat anything I took in!

Unless I've seen it dropped on the floor or a dog lick it I am always up for cake. Even then it's iffy that's incredibly rude though, just say you're not hungry

@AlletrixLeStrange

Five second rule!

I would admire the cake, thank the person, take a slice and put it in my desk drawer 'for later' and then discreetly throw it away

I've refused cake at work on a number of occasions, usually because it's too early (don't like sweet stuff in the morning) or because I am still full from lunch or because I am not keen on the flavour (don't like chocolate & orange, for example.) But I usually just say, "thanks, but not just now," and sometimes add, "maybe later, if there's some left." I wouldn't openly question someone's hygiene, even if I asked que

My department take their baking seriously, I’d never decline, possibly some of the best brownies I’ve ever had (and I’m a fat cow who’s eaten a lot of brownies in my time). I’d leave it if there was something I didn’t like, but otherwise I’m in, free cake, yay!!

...questions inside my head (which mostly I don't, because the ones most likely to bring in home baking aren't top of the list of those whose hygiene I'd question.)