“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?!

Can’t stand the luke warm coffee you get served at posh coffee places, so I roll my eyes at their eye rolling.

Our local bakery (sadly just closed) would ask you if you wanted your bread sliced. There was a 3p charge though!

I always ask for my latte (so already looked down on by the hipsters) extra hot. It’s certainly not burnt or scalded - just raised above the temperature which a goldfish would be happy to swim about in, because it’s supposed to be a HOT DRINK.

I was a barista of sorts back in the day.

I remember this cocky man coming in telling me he wanted his café STRETTO. (stretto as far as I knew, translated to tight?)

Had to go and ask another member of staff what da actual fook he wanted. Turns out you pack the coffee granules/things much 'tighter'/very closely packed, so you press down doubly hard on the coffee in the strainer thing. Coffee comes out stronger (apparently - well in this guy's imagination it did anyway - I suppose as it takes the water longer to pass through the coffee?). A bit like squeezing a teabag maybe. Not too sure. He was the only one who regularly ordered it and I was very proud when I knew what it meant when some randomer ordered it.

Sorry, should have mentioned that was in Italy, not the UK.

The Italian coffee connoisseurs used to stress me out no length.

Eventually figured out that 'non troppo stretto' meant not so tightly packed, which equated to 'not too strong'.

I still don't have a coffee machine at home, 20 years later lol.

I've read about the secret Starbucks menu but wondered whether it was an urban myth? Do other stores do anything similar? I know Prets give free drinks to people they like the look of...

Special fried rice - not on the menu at our local chinese restaurant but oh my it is a fabulous dish on it's own, has everything in it.

Also if you are ever in a good italian restaurant and it is quiet ask if you can order whatever the chef eats. Used to work in italian restaurants and would get to eat the most amazing light fresh veg/cream/pasta combos that were never on the menu but should have been.

Not a secret ask but local m&s food shop slashes prices on fresh stuff around 7pm on a week day and time it right you can get bread, milk etc for pennies. Sainsbury's does the same for veg on christmas eve.

Not exactly a secret, but I was so pleased when I worked out how to order the drink I'd learned (at a little old-fashioned French café) as a "café Viennois" — espresso with whipped cream.

In most chains they'll call it an "espresso con panna". Funnily enough, in most European countries other than France, a "Viennese coffee" is an entirely different drink!

An acquaintance of mine had worked as a diplomat in Saudi Arabia for several years before he learned that it is actually possible to get a bacon sandwich in some cafes. It isn't on the menu; you just have to ask quietly.

There are bread chopping machines at Lidl, you can do it yourself here for free! I am still impressed, every time.

I love the sauce in burgers so ask for some of it for my chips too. Other people must do this too because they never ask questions.

I would love to know what a fish kettle is!!! Is it a giant copper old style kettle that you can cook fish over a campfire on?
Or is it a kettle shaped like a fish?
Or nothing to do with fish at all (like a fish slice)

Scraps at the chippy!

I used to get bits kept aside for me at the local deli- the bones from the prosciutto, and the rinds from the Parmesan (when they grate them).

Both are fabulous soup ingredients (you take them out near the end).

The new deli manager cottoned on and now wraps and charges for them.

My butcher will give me extra ‘buchi’ for my osso buco- that’s the marrow bone without the surrounding meat.

My organic green grocer keeps outer cabbage leaves for me- they’re necessary for home-fermenting veggies. The magic ingredient that provides good bacteria and holds all the chopped veg under the brine like a lid. She also gives me young turnip tops (great pasta & soup ingredient, if you’re Italian).

Basically, I used to come home from the shops not having spent a cent!

Well this is all very interesting!

@MirriVan If you are still commencing 1on a disposable contact lens payment plan with Specsavers it's written into the agreement they have to honour a free pair every 12mths. I order a set (in my prescription) before my holidays so I've got back up lens that I'm not that fussed about losing just in case.

• still commencing? 😯 - bloody phone! If you are on a contract plan... 🙂

I'm really not a coffee conniseur so I always order a filter coffee from Costa. It's not written on the menu in my local one but they do them and they're cheaper than an Americano

I once ordered a hot chocolate in Starbucks and when it was handed to me it said “child temperature” on the cup. No idea why as I didn’t ask for that, but it was tepid. So apparent that’s a thing you can ask for.

Dont know if this counts.

When they have whole salmon on offer, I pass it to the fishmonger to chop off. Head and tail and fillet into two sides. I still have to take out the pinbones, but cooking preparation is so much easier. (Unless you want the full fish look, thats it)

You can personalise McDonalds classy

When I was pregnant, I had a massive cheese and carb craving, so thought I’d ask for extra cheese on my double cheeseburger they did it without batting an eye, so I suspect there’s loads more you could do there!

3luckystars
A fish kettle is a poacher really.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0001IWUEU/ref=cmswwremmapiiicoAF5Cb0DVE54Y
I remember using one years ago to poach monkfish in Court bouillon when I had friends round for dinner. I remember it being delicious.

Have never heard of a fish kettle before now.

I think I need one.

I discovered the other day you can get a child’s portion of meatballs at IKEA. You only get 4 and then the mash/ chips or whatever but that’s the perfect amount for me at lunchtime.

According to the Waitrose website, you can also borrow wine glasses from Waitrose for free!

You can get free coffee grounds from Waitrose to use on the garden
Free bubble wrap in Tesco
Make friends with your butcher and they will give you bones for stock