To think this is grim food hygiene?

[Lismore]

I’ve just made my regular stop at Gloucester services on the M5.

They apparently have 4 million visitors per year. How is it good food hygiene to have most of them (not to mention flie) file past open plates of cakes and biscuits?

Admittedly it’s good for my teeth as I usually love a bit of cake but would never buy one from here.

How is it allowed by the environmental health people?

This. They are in a fridge or box until put out. Sold within an hour or two. Not high risk at all for illness,

We pulled in wanting a non sugary snack (hoping for very high cocoa chocolate) and a bottle of Diet Coke to pep us up for the drive home.

There was some fancy chocolate but none that was very high cocoa and of course they didn't sell Diet Coke. Just fancy but sugary drinks.

Really, I couldn't care less. I've got to the age of 64 without worrying about stuff like this, and I am rarely ever ill.

I do too.
It was one good thing during the Covid crisis that cakes, scones and pastries were wrapped. The flies in summer landing on the good is disgusting.

Meh. The person who bakes those cakes probably doesn’t wash their hands after being to the loo either.
A few germs, to build up the old immune system, in the form of cake - lovely 😋

It depends on how quickly these items are being sold, looks like a lot has been taken from the picture, maybe a high turn around so they can display like that, they do a lot of this in Ireland at petrol stations. Big tables with absolutely tons of cakes like that. It is the norm.

I completely agree. Absolutely manky. I couldn't eat anything left out in the open like that. I just wouldn't enjoy it!

Do none of you ever eat out, either in fast food places, or Michelin starred restaurants?

You'd be shocked.

Coughing is the least of your worries.

Does none ever eat breakfast when staying in hotels. From 5 star to ‘how did it even get 2’ I’ve never seen breakfast not put out buffet style, racks/baskets of croissants and pastries, plates of fresh fruit, bowls of stewed fruits to put on cereals and baskets of sliced bread that you pop through the toaster machines. Sure, at nice places the chef will whip you up an omelette or whatnot as well, but that’s always in addition to the buffet spread. I’ve never met anyone horrified by breakfasts in hotels or sick from them and it’s exactly the same really.

I have had cakes from that very table on at least 3 separate visits.
I am immunosuppressed.
I am alive and well.

I am horrified by open displays of food, however many stars the establishment boasts 😂 Well, not by the displays, which are often very pretty! I watch people browsing the food, talking & breathing (how dare they breathe?!) and quite often poking, picking up & replacing items ... then get some whole, unpeeled fruit, eggs cooked to order, and a croissant. It's a numbers game.

Staying at a very high-end Thai hotel, I felt it would be criminal not to eat from the stunning buffet. I got dysentery.

I've heard of Gloucester Services. As a place to visit! Like a special trip.

Bubonic plague, most likely. Meanwhile her children distribute more germs they picked up at school/daycare than any adult breathing near the cake.

Food is sold uncovered at many places and there’s been no widespread disasters to date. It really is normal but people have become so paranoid where there is little risk.

Probably the worst is outdoors markets where I often see cakes and bread being sold uncovered (also fudge). Much higher chance of a fly landing on produce outside!

I pay attention to hygiene but really, this is just excessive. Cakes on tables like this sell very quickly. They’re not hanging around to get poked or sneezed over by 4 million visitors 😂😂 As PP said, Glos services is crazily popular despite the mad prices (and I can testify to its popularity as I live locally in Gloucester). These cakes sell….well, like hot cakes!

This is another weird mumsnet thing isn't it? Most people (including me) aren't bothered at all about the fact they're uncovered. I've also never thought about it before. And now it's been pointed out to me, I'm still not fussed. What on earth do you think will happen?

All the more for the rest of us! Hooray

I’d never buy uncovered cakes. I saw a child touching a donut and then licking their fingers and touching it again whilst mum was busy down the aisle. Disgusting

I said the same when I walked in, but it was 2 baskets of scones. Me and dc watched flies crawling all over the open bakery items in Tesco- it was quite a lesson!

From your photo, the cakes clearly haven't gone dry, they've gone! And need topping up.

I was once so concerned about practices and conditions at an absolutely filthy non-motorway services that I phoned the environmental officer at the relevant local authority the following day.

The authority visited the premises and issued notice.

Also Cairn Lodge on the A74(M) in Scotland. Great place.

Id more likely to be put off by the price than the fact they're uncovered and the fact that they apparently don't sell diet coke

Lots of places have (bakery type) food displayed like that. In actually bakeries its usually behind a clear glass or perspex counter which might have an impact on people-y germs but wouldn't prevent wasps or flies.

PIL left some sausage rolls out in a warm room for at least 48 hours at Christmas once and then offered them to us. I said no to that!!

Who doesn't love a good sneeze muffin?

Channel 4 did a series of programmes on the Gloucester services - a Cotswold Farmshop.
Some lovely artisan products - they featured the producers on the show.
I'd love to visit.
Watching the show I was unimpressed with the gorgeous food being left uncovered.
Surely that would and should be high up the food safety agenda.