To think they should have left the lids on

[Titterofwit]

First world problem I know but its been irking me for some reason.
Out with friends we popped into a cafe within a shop and ordered a tea and scone each. Friend who ordered went one better and asked for cream teas all round. The teas were delivered nicely and the scones came with both butter and clotted cream plus jam. All very nice .

Except the cream and the jam had all had their lids removed but were otherwise still in their original pots. We were bemused by this but carried on. By the end of the meal we still had a lot of jam left - one was untouched.
As we had paid 50p each for the little jams I went to the counter to ask for the lids to the post so we could take them home.

The answer was no as they throw the all lids away before serving .

They did try to help by checking the bin behind the counter but it had already been emptied.

As the staff were helpful after the event I couldnt complain but really ... shouldnt they just leave the lids on if they are serving in the original containers?

It does sound wasteful. And food waste is a problem we should all be addressing, including tea shops.

They have probably had complaints about how difficult the lids are to remove

Where’s the lid? Scone.

I’d be a bit annoyed at the food waste more than the 50p so I’d be inclined to email not a complain but a suggestion to leave lids on to prevent wastage.

I'd guess it reduces the admittedly low risk of someone tampering with the jam and it being returned presumed to be unused and given to another customer.

That only works if you pronounce it the wrong way 👀

I think you are unreasonable in not using all ghe cream and jam. Scones need to be smothered in cream and jam.

Jam first then cream or cream then jam?

They’re putting a blob of cheap alternative into the jars!

It saves people having to ask them to open the jars, so it's fine that they do that. They should keep them until the table is cleared. It's really wasteful and environmentally unfriendly to still be doing single serve.

They are 100% refilling their jam jars!

I agree that they are probably refilling the jars.

100% incorrect and you probably put the lidless jam on second.

Did the jars have labels on? I would assume they were washing and refilling them

I'd boycott anywhere serving jam and cream in pots and calling it a cream tea. For shame! 😁

Probably reusing the jars and/or filling it with a cheaper brand

Were they in little jars? I'm guessing they wash and refill from larger tubs.

What should they serve jam and cream in for it to be a cream tea?

My guess is that they refill the pots with a cheaper brand.

I've never eaten a scone with cream and jam on it 🙀I've only recently in the last few months decided that i didn't actually hate cream.

Little silver bowls 🙃

You are being unreasonable not to have finished the jam. Those little jars are tiny!

I hadnt considered that they were refilling the jars! But they were labelled correctly and were smooth on top .I think they were just keen to be seen to do it 'right' and they have a Food Hygiene Rating of 5 so no worries on that score.

I love a nice blob of clotted cream and then with a bit of jam dribbled on top - unfortunately cream doesn't like me too much so I can only have a small amount and Im not too keen on jam but thought I would show willing as it was already paid for.

Not sure if thats the devon or Cornish way. But I look at the cream as the butter element and I would never put the jam on first and try to spread butter on top - madness !

Yes to this 😂

I'm not in catering but would have thought that cleaning the pots well enough to keep the labels on and refilling would be more hassle than it's worth.

Explains why it didn’t make sense to me when I read it 😂

Eh? Most people can open their own little jam jar I'd have thought.