“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?!

You can also get free parsley at Spanish greengrocers (seen it mentioned for Italy a couple of pages back). Feels wrong having to pay for it now I no longer live there! Fishmongers and supermarket fish counters will prepare your fish any way you like it and recommend how if you're not sure (leaving scales on for barbecue etc).

@BlueberriesAndCream
you can also order 'short' drinks in Starbucks, cheaper and smaller. at least you used to be able to - haven't tried for a while!

I noticed they are advertising these on the board at my local Starbucks now. I'm sure it's not been there before now!

@raptorwhiskers , the difference between a latte and flat white is the ratio of froth to milk and the temperature of the milk. The drinks themselves have the same amount of coffee and the cup/glass hold the same amount of milliletres.

A latte is served in a glass because it is meant to be cool enough to the touch to hold, coffees that are served in a cup with a handle should be hot. The handle is to stop you from burning your hand.

Pret coffee is not hot at all. But I can't complain because I rarely ever get charged for anything in there. Several times a week they say it's free. I love it!

my bakery used to sell pizza dough by the ball if you asked for it

Wagamama used to have apple & lime juice, freshly squeezed. You can't get exactly that on the menu any more but usually they'll make it if I ask.

@ AlyssasBackRolls so strange to read that, I have the free pate bowl from Waitrose in the kitchen. It survived many moves and I love it 🙂

How nice berninisbeloved :) The ones I recall had brown shiny edging and a swirl pattern around the edge (I think, haven't seen one for years!) They were a decent size too.

Bought fish from Tescos counter yesterday, and it came with choices of free butter eg herb, garlic, chorizo etc. Lady gave me some for other fish I'd bought not from the counter too. Fab as saved me bother of thinking how to flavour it at home.

AlyssasBackRolls was just coming on to say the same - Sainsbury’s though, we’re not posh enough for Waitrose in these parts! We had lovely blue patterned ones which were very French rustic style (or so we thought in the olden days)

They sound like the same ones tbh!

I’m so happy to come back on this thread and see all the comments. Thanks all!

Our chippy gives you scraps of cooked, unbattered fish if you ask. I get it for the cat. If you are buying fish and chips its free.
Our butcher also does (cooked) meat trimmings, about £1. You could eat it yourself if you wanted but most people get it for their dogs/cats.

Marsala chai in an Indian restaurant. Spiced tea served sweet, perfect way to end a meal. Not often on the menu but worth asking for.

@AlyssasBackRolls I think most, if not all, shop deli counters did that with the earthenware pate dishes. My Mom used to get them from Woolies in the 70s when they had a deli counter.

Some butchers will sharpen your kitchen knives for you. The one in my village does it for a donation to charity, and the one that was closest to my old house did it for regular customers.

DD would at one point only drink milk Lots of places didn't have it on the menu and so therefore would give her a glass and not charge us.

DS1 used to like the ice cream in the cornet from McDonalds (not a McFlurry, OH no, that was too fancy for His Lordship) but would always eat it interminably slowly and end up knocking it over - Waaaah! - here's another So we used to ask: "Can we have an ice cream in a cornet but not in a cornet because he knocks it over, can you put it in a little cup and give us a spoon please?" This caused no end of consternation! Sometimes they said they couldn't do it - does not compute! Fair enough, my fault for bringing up a fussy kid. But often we got it free because they felt guilty about not supplying the cornet.

In the butchers a lady asked for them to cut the bone out of her chicken breasts. Reader - I sneered (inwardly of course). Then had a hell of a job cutting them out myself and wished I had asked the same - I will next time!

Yes yes @LikeSilentRaindrops you can ask for extra gherkins, extra patty extra anything really! I learnt that being pregnant with a penchant for a Maccy D's too. Man! Those gherkins in a burger hit the spot every time!

Piri tamer sauce in nandos

Its probably a well known thing but when you order from the screens at McDonalds there is a customise button so you can select ingredients to be taken away or added to your chosen burger

Another one off menu in Starbucks.. White chocolate hot chocolate, very sweet so not a regular!

I always get the wrap of the day at McDonald’s then customise jt for my son. Saves money

I recall asking the sandwich artiste in subway once if he would mind wrapping my foot long sub in two halves as I was sharing it with dh. Anyone would think I'd just murdered his granny and pissed down her neck. He was really really nasty, said there was no way he would do that and he'd charge for two 6" subs instead.
We walked out.

So yeah, perhaps not try that one 😂

We order spicy dishes from our local Chinese "extra spicy". Despite the little chilli signs on the menu, I think they just show a chilli flake to the pan if you don't order it that way. When I order instead of DH I often have to add "no, really, we can take it."

Ooh, I just tried to ask for a Coconut Milk - milkshake at Caffe Nero. It's quiet at the moment and although they never made it before, were happy to give it a go! It's fab!
Next time I might ask them to check and see if the strawberry powder is dairy free (though I suspect it's not).