Colleague eating egg mayo sandwiches - to say something?

[DontGiveUp90]

As above really…my colleague is lovely but insists on eating the most foul smelling egg sandwiches for her lunch. It lingers all afternoon and makes me feel sick.

Would I be unreasonable to say something? We don’t have a break out area where she could eat them as only a small office.

The only polite solution is that no one eats in the office, then.

Honestly if everyone had to stop eating things others brought in that they didn't like we'd only be able to munch on crackers, chocolate and tap water.

The best you can do is wave the air and say 'Phoooor, those sarnies have a whiff!'

I don't have a problem with egg sandwiches. I really dislike the smell of tuna and hummus and some cheese are also pretty strong but I wouldn't say anything as if there is nowhere else to eat I think people just have to put up with smells they don't like

Put a fan on your desk facing it towards the door or towards her

Well, that's probably got most of the major food groups. If it were fruit & nut chocolate, there's one of your Five a Day.

Not true I have IBS and get one that doesn't have garlic in it (Sabra I think it's called).
OP if you don't like the smell then go out at lunch, the smell will be much stronger while she's eating the sandwiches and much less by the time you come back. You can't police what people eat even if you don't like it.

Egg mayonnaise sandwiches are one of the most common sandwiches in sandwich bars and meal deals.

God, I’d be heaving. Really selfish of your colleague.

I bloody love egg mayo tbh YABU

I eat onion sandwiches.

If she's vegetarian she still needs her protein.

Would you prefer she ate hummus (which has garlic in it) ?

Ask management about a designated eating area as well

Garlic breath is positively revolting. I wouldn't have to say a word cause I'd probably wretch if it was exceptionally strong 😷

Once I told my flatmate his sandwich absolutely reeked - turns out poor guy lost his sense of smell.

Another time someone at my work said “holy crap it stinks in here” after I heated up a curry. I stopped bringing in curries after that 😂

Moral of these stories is I don’t see anything wrong with making a light quip of it - “bloody hell sorry you’re a lovely person but that sandwich stinks!”

I don't think you'd be unreasonable to say something. I love egg mayo sandwiches, but I really don't like watching other people eat them and if I'm not in the mood for one the smell is disgusting.

Is it weird this thread has now given me a craving for a home made egg mayo sandwich 🤤

Yum that's the way I love my egg sandwich 😁

Love egg mayo sandwiches, is this every day?

I’ve worked in a couple of places that had rules against strong smelling lunches, but that seems to be unusual judging by all the responses. If you work in a client facing environment or public space then I definitely think you’ve got a case for a blanket rule on non- smelly foods in the workplace.

I answered earlier and have been thinking of an egg mayo and bacon salad for dinner

I used to work with someone who mixed a can of tuna into a cup-a-soup every day for lunch.

Yep!

I’ve discovered if you boil and cool the eggs and then refrigerate them they don’t smell!

I have 2 boiled eggs a day and have my own office but even I couldn’t stand the smell of them before I discovered this hack!

Same I've just messaged DP to pick up some more eggs and and brown bread, screw the spaghetti bol I was going to have for tea I'm having egg mayo, tomato and crispy bacon butties now 😋

To me a cold sandwich shouldn't cause extreme odour issues in an adequately ventilated workplace? You can say you don't like the smell of eggs maybe once. But it could be seen as a bit rude. Despite it being true.

I remember when the only thing I could afford at work was egg mayo. Lol.

The one that's not really acceptable is warmed up fish/cheese things. Like those terrible frozen fish pies you can get.

One woman tried to cook a whole chicken from raw, in the office microwave?! Another set fire to the kitchen by microwaving a raw bagel for twenty minutes?

So count yourself lucky maybe? 🤣