“Secret” things you ask for in shops

[PantTwizzler]

I realised today in Clarks (while buying shoes for DD who had bare feet necessitating asking for their pop socks) that there are some things you can ask for in shops that aren’t advertised but are available. Pop socks is a boring example because they’d probably offer anyway, but there’s also
— garlic oil in Pizza Express
— getting your cappuccino “extra hot”

Ok it’s a short list. Is there anything else?!

@chaostrulyreigns, yes, a f/w has a very minimal layer of foam and is much hotter than a latte. A latte should have about a finger width of foam at the top of it. The foam changes the texture of the coffee as you drink it.

In a takeaway cup it's not so important as the froth gets all banged up against the lid as you drink it so there isn't as much noticeable difference anyway.

*a pinkie finger depth, not width sorry (about a cm for most people).

I have no idea if this is true or not as I haven’t tried it, but the fire officer at work told us that if you need something doing like draining a pond, taking down railings etc, and the fire service could feasibly count it as ‘training’, they will do it for you. (Presumably so long as they have no fires to fight!) - I don’t think I’d have the nerve to ask!

madsweeney the sandwich artiste? Wow, is that the actual job title of a subway employee?

Interested at all the posters asserting that 'extra hot is just scalded milk'. No it's not! That would be horrible! Most high street coffee shops serve cappuccino and hot chocolate just on the hot side of warm. It cools in seconds and then you have a big bowl of tepid milky nonsense to drink.

I ask for extra hot, I get a nice hot cappuccino or hot chocolate. Not a burnt-tasting scalded one. Just a hot one.

At Strada you can ask for a free limoncello at the end of your meal (or you used to be able to, I haven't tried recently)

"when a woman near me casually handed a loaf of freshly baked uncut bread to the person behind the counter and asked for it to be sliced (by a machine)."

When I was in Belgium, the slicing machine was self-service. Just the look of it frightened me.

They also had a calender at the launderette that you passed your bed sheets through to iron them, something I've never seen in the UK.

" Even if they don’t list them on the drinks menu they are legally obliged to sell you a small glass of wine if you ask."

Just pubs?
There's a cafe near me that just doesn't do small glasses. Are cafes obliged too? It would be good because I quite often want something small at lunchtime, but their medium/large wine just makes me too tired for shopping afterwards.

I cant understand why anyone considers coffee from starbucks, costa or any of the chains as decent, not one of them has a coffee with any depth or flavour which is why the add in the fresh air foamy milk, syrups and anything the can flog to customers. Try a plain black filter coffee from any of them and it is only worth cleaning drains with.
On a different note Vision Express will replace the nose pads on your glasses for free when they start slipping down your nose as they know this will happen after about 6 months.

16yo DD2 always orders off-menu at Starbucks, either “secret menu” or she has made her own combinations. When you get a new barista you see the confusion and fear when she rattles off her request!

Macdonalds have an ENTIRE secret menu 😉. Ask to see it or download it from the internet

I cant understand why anyone considers coffee from starbucks, costa or any of the chains as decent,

I have a chain skinny latte every day, I am fully aware it is hot milk without much substance, but I fully enjoy the mild coffee flavour this drink gives me. I'm no coffee connoisseur, just someone who enjoys a skinny latte. I consider it decent because I enjoy it, why can't you understand that? It's just the basic different strokes principle.

Macdonalds have an ENTIRE secret menu

They really don't. You can customise literally everything in there to create anything you want though.

I like the black filter coffee from, say, pret. I'm sure there are things you like that I consider akin to drain cleaner. I've never understood why some people can't understand preferences.

@Gwenhwyfar
Everywhere that sells wine by the glass is legally required to sell it in a 125ml measure, yes.

If can't have gluten you can order the sausage & egg mufins at McDonald's and they will serve it on a plate/paper tray with knife and fork.

Forgot to say minus the mufins of course

McDonald’s employee here 😁

Yes everything can be customised, the till has buttons for remove, add or extra and for complicated orders there is an ‘ask me’ button where the kitchen staff will come and ask what you want.

You can order an English breakfast from McDonald’s, double sausage and egg muffin, add bacon, add extra egg, no muffin.

You can ask for your burger to be ‘dressed as’ another burger. So a cheeseburger dressed as a Big Mac will be a single burger, bun, lettuce and Big Mac sauce.

The eggs that come with the McMuffins are actually fresh, free range eggs. The egg in the bagels and wraps are a weird egg and milk mixture that comes in a carton. Always ask for ‘round egg, not folded egg’ in those.

As a pp said, ask for fries with no salt then add salt later as you will get lovely fresh chips 🍟

The cafe/bar at my gym has secret Mars bars under the counter 😂 You have to ask for them! Handy if you’re in the middle of a mega training session and need a quick sugar hit.

You can buy a sour cream and chive dip from McDonalds! It's the one that comes with the chicken selects so it's a large pot but you can buy it in separately.

Starbucks and Costa offer free babychinos (frothy milk) and Costa will do a chocochino for 55p and you get a mini flake or marshmallow with it. Never seen them on the menu board

You can ask for grated cheese sandwiches to go with the kids lunch boxes at Morrison's cafes. The choice of sandwiches are ham, jam or cheese spread, but they will make a grated one if you ask. This has worked in probably 10 different Morrisons across the country (fine dining )

Free tap water when you’re offered ‘still or sparkling’.

Costa will fill up your water bottle for free as well!

"Free tap water when you’re offered ‘still or sparkling’."

Surely everyone knows this. Catering establishments are legally obliged to give free tap water when requested by customers.