Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3 4

Original poster

To look for a loaf for bread that doesn’t expire in the next two days??

76 replies

MelKarnofskyCrane · 16/10/2021 13:28

Got a minor telling off in Tesco today. Went to buy bread. The loaves at the front of the shelf all had a best before of 18 October. The ones at the back were 21 October. So I took one from the back.

Got a tap on the shoulder (yeah) from a member of staff. “You should just take one from the front”. Had the conversation, taking one from the back because it’ll last longer. No, we need to sell these ones first, that’s why they’re at the front, you can’t take from the back.

Anyway, calm discussion, I’m not for fighting with anyone in public (once he was gone I switched them back and took the 21st one anyway to be honest). I wasn’t making a mess or damaging the bread or holding anyone up or anything - I just moved them aside them put them back again.

I’m not interested in complaining but I also don’t intend to stop doing this. As far as I’m concerned, if it’s on the shelf it’s fair game.

Unless my thinking is skewed on this one and I am in fact being unreasonable?

OP posts:

SignOnTheWindow · 16/10/2021 14:41

@CheeseCakeSunflowers

I work for a rival supermarket as an online picker and we are told to pick from the back and send the best dates out. When stacking shelves the oldest does go to the front, partially to encourage the sale of that first and also to help staff when they do their daily check on the dates to ensure no out of date items on display and reduce items that are very short dated. I can only think the staff member you saw is new and hasn't got the hang of things yet.

Same. I deliberately pick the longest dates for customers. I agree that the staff member probably just got the wrong end of the stick. Even so, they shouldn't be tapping customers on the shoulder and telling them off!

ivykaty44 · 16/10/2021 14:48

It was Tesco, not sure it would happen in Waitrose.
Perhaps shop elsewhere if possible

takenforgrantednana · 16/10/2021 14:50

@MelKarnofskyCrane

Got a minor telling off in Tesco today. Went to buy bread. The loaves at the front of the shelf all had a best before of 18 October. The ones at the back were 21 October. So I took one from the back.

I’m not interested in complaining but I also don’t intend to stop doing this. As far as I’m concerned, if it’s on the shelf it’s fair game.

Unless my thinking is skewed on this one and I am in fact being unreasonable?

i do the same with the milk too, always take the one from the back oh and yogurts and cream

HoardingSamphireSaurus · 16/10/2021 14:58

@DifferentHair

Going against the tide here -

People doing this is a huge source of food waste which is absolutely shit for the environment.

If you are going to consume it in the next couple of days- please buy the one with the shorter shelf life because otherwise it might just go to waste.

People reaching past perfectly good food that would suit them just fine, to choose an identical product just because of the date stamp causes tonnes of food to go to waste.

I think stores need to educate consumers better about how this food is perfectly good. They need to not put out the newer stock until the previous stock is sold. They need to discount products that are closer to the expiry date.

That said- physically tapping you on the shoulder and telling you how to shop is out of order.

Who the fuck goes around touching strangers in public? Did we not just survive a pandemic or did I image all that? He'd have been whacked with a baguette if he tried that with me.

All they have to do is send shelf dressers round frequently and refill once the nearest date has been sold out. Same as corner shops usually do.

But they don't because they rarely have enough staff.

So they choose to lose a higher % of stock to sales prices or the bin over a higher staffing bill.

It isn't the consumer's fault as all they / we are doing is ensuring that we are reducing our own levels of waste.

That's one of the unpalatable truths of economy of scale.

queenatom · 16/10/2021 14:59

Staff instructions will clearly be to backfill the shelves, pretty sure this is policy everywhere. I always consider when I’m intending on using an item rather than automatically digging at the back for a longest date - if it’s for tonight’s dinner then I don’t need something that expires next week, and I’d consider it wasteful to automatically go for that rather than just taking one which will be within date when I need it. That said, it isn’t for staff to police which dates customers take, and if they’re concerned that there is too much short dated stock to sell then they should hold off on replenishing until the older dates have shifted.

meemaww · 16/10/2021 15:00

I always go for the longest dates too. There’s no waste because the staff who pick the orders for home delivery usually take the bread from the front as it comes anyway so it’s all sold.

TheRealBettySpaghetti · 16/10/2021 15:12

If he'd tapped me on the shoulder he'd have been given what for amd no mistake.

Mooloolabababy · 16/10/2021 15:20

I always, always check the dates on bread (as well as milk and meat) if the ones at the front are short then I always get a longer dated one from the back. It's my hard earned money and I will choose whichever loaf of bread that I want to. If they want to sell the short dated ones first then they shouldn't put the longer dated ones out until they're all gone!

chitchatchatter · 16/10/2021 15:26

Doesn’t everyone do this?

Rosebel · 16/10/2021 15:28

I do picking for home shopping and always pick fresh stuff and bread with the longer dates.
Bread seems to have a very short shelf life anyway.
Where I work none of the staff care where you take the products from, especially as you weren't pulling all the bread about or anything. Tbh if someone said that to me I'd probably laugh.

randomsabreuse · 16/10/2021 15:31

I always buy bread with a long date as we don't get through the loaf quick enough. If there's only rubbish dates I won't buy it!

Things for a specific meal I'll just check I can get the date I need but convenience and unpredictable stuff like bread needs a decent date!

cortex10 · 16/10/2021 15:34

This is why I rarely food shop with DH - he insists on checking the dates on everything to make sure he finds the items with the longest possible dates.

DumbestBlonde · 16/10/2021 15:34

If anyone is interested to know, a bread that seems to last well (and beyond it's BBD) is the Aldi Honey-soaked Wholemeal Bloomer.
Maybe it's the honey - which does not seem to affect the taste at all; I also typically cannot eat bread anyway - many many digestive issues - but this is just fine for me. Sandwiches at first with the nice thick slices, then toast when not as fresh, then bread and butter pudding.
I would not eat any other bread now (or dare to), but might try their Ancient Grains....
Of course, a bigger household may get through it in one day!

OldTinHat · 16/10/2021 16:07

I do the same. And lift crates up to find vegetables with longer dates. I've never been stopped OP, maybe the staff member was new?? I was asked for ID by a member of staff yesterday who said he was new after I'd finished laughing (I'm 50 and look it!).

swashbucklecheer · 16/10/2021 16:11

I lift the green trays out to get the freshest fruit and veg in the trays underneath.

GoldChick · 16/10/2021 16:16

I'd have freaked out and screamed if he'd tapped me on the shoulder. I'm jumpy like that. Anyway, if you need it to last longer then sure, take the longest date one. If you're going to eat it in the next couple of days then go for one that is going to last as long as you need it.

BogRollBOGOF · 16/10/2021 16:24

@DumbestBlonde

If anyone is interested to know, a bread that seems to last well (and beyond it's BBD) is the Aldi Honey-soaked Wholemeal Bloomer. Maybe it's the honey - which does not seem to affect the taste at all; I also typically cannot eat bread anyway - many many digestive issues - but this is just fine for me. Sandwiches at first with the nice thick slices, then toast when not as fresh, then bread and butter pudding. I would not eat any other bread now (or dare to), but might try their Ancient Grains.... Of course, a bigger household may get through it in one day!

I buy the ancient grains because it doesn't contain soya.

I go for longer dates because I have to buy specific bread, can't top up in my neighbourhood, don't get through a lot and am not driving off to Aldi 2 days later.

If I intend on using other fresh items in the next day or two, I'm happy enough to pick shorter dates.
It largely balances out between different peoples' needs.

LaurieSchafferIsAllBitterNow · 16/10/2021 16:25

I do this for sure if I am doing a big shop, otherwise if it's for the day I am not bothered....except for milk and cream always get the longest date available

Our tesco is dreadful for stock rotation, mainly in the dairy aisle...almost always there is short dated milk and cream BEHIND the longer date stuff.

Pontypandytaxpayer · 16/10/2021 16:29

Sounds like someone who stacks shelves but doesn't do much food shopping.

I'd assume he was told he should restock this way so the stuff at the front is sold first and assumed that was a rule.

Nooproblemoo · 16/10/2021 16:29

I want to know what he'd have done if you took the BBE 21/10 in front of him rather than swapping later.

chitchatchatter · 16/10/2021 16:33

@swashbucklecheer

I lift the green trays out to get the freshest fruit and veg in the trays underneath.

Yup, me too.

OverByYer · 16/10/2021 16:36

How dare he tap you?
I’d be really irritated by this. I always look for the longest date

Bubbles1st · 16/10/2021 16:37

When working as an online shop picker for Sainsbury's we had to find bread with long life, anything less than two days we had to flag it as short dated for the customer to decide if they wanted it in delivery.

The assistant I'm sure was perhaps just more personally annoyed as maybe just got it all out themselves as I'm sure no supermarket would insist on this

mogsrus · 16/10/2021 16:39

Good grier,1or 2 days left on it,it won't poison you,be thankful they have told to sell

FWBNC · 16/10/2021 16:44

He's young, he'll learn. I'd have just explained that if it's on the shelf it's there for a customer to buy and if he disagrees we can discuss it with his manager.

As for buying longest date... I don't if I'm going to be using it within the date anyway because I feel it helps with slightly less food waste, but if I'm not using it immediately then yes I'll look forward the longest date because that also helps with less food waste.

As a shopper I can buy whatever I want that's on display in the shop

My friend works in a small convenience shop, there supposed to put the new stock at the back, date check every shift etc, but most of the staff are too bloody lazy and just shove it on the front if the shelf, she ends up 'wasting' a lot of stock when she does shelves she hasn't done in a little while. Drives her batshit!!

Flip

1 2 3 4