Am I a CF to go to the takeaway and ask for a discount?

[Clape]

So I’m trying to lose weight. Have done quite well, 23 pounds down. One of my most favourite meals is chicken marinated in tandoori spices cooked on the bbq with a lovely salad. I am OBSESSED with eating this salad with a sauce that comes from our local Lebanese takeaway. It cost £4 for a tiny little pot. Would I be really cheeky to go into the shop and ask if they can do be a much larger container for a fair amount. It’s a tomato based sauce so not expensive to produce. To get the amount I would need we’re talking it costing maybe three figures. I’m not joking. That’s how small the pots are. I don’t think there’s any harm in asking?

Obviously I don’t want to be rude or offensive either. If it wasn’t SO expensive of course the idea of haggling would not even enter my mind and I would just pay the going rate

If a little goes a long way why do you need a pot that’s 25 times the size of a normal portion

£4 usually and you said 3 figures for the amount you needed

hence the 25 pots

No one goes to their local takeaway haggling over the sauce. Actually cringing from second hand embarrassment. They are a business. They aren't there to cater for your sauce needs.

so @Clape adding all you said into chat gp this is their answer

Ahhh perfect — that sounds like Shatta (Lebanese/Palestinian chili sauce).
This is the spicy, smoky, chunky red sauce they serve with grilled chicken & shawarma.

Name of the sauce:

Shatta (شَطّة)

Typical Ingredients:

• Fresh red chillies
• Garlic
• Salt
• Lemon juice
• Olive oil
• Tomato paste or roasted red peppers (for body)
• Sometimes cumin or smoked paprika for that smoky flavour

No mayo, no yogurt, no sweetness.

What it tastes like:

• Spicy (but not overwhelming)
• Tangy (from lemon)
• Savoury and slightly smoky
• Chunky texture from hand chopping or pulsing, not blending smooth

Quick “Takeaway-Style” Recipe (very close to the one served with Lebanese chicken):

Ingredients:

• 6–8 red chillies (or 3 chillies + 1 roasted red pepper for milder)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp smoked paprika (for the smokiness you mentioned)
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• 1–2 tbsp tomato paste
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2–3 tbsp olive oil
• Pinch of salt

Method:

1. Finely chop the chillies and garlic by hand (or pulse very quickly — don’t blend smooth).
2. Stir in the smoked paprika, cumin, salt and tomato paste.
3. Add lemon juice and olive oil to loosen to a spoonable texture.
4. Taste → adjust salt / lemon / heat.

It keeps for 1–2 weeks in the fridge.

This

It won't hurt to ask 😊

Not only the time and labor, but the spices they use may be very expensive. You dismissed that with "tomato based" but it's probably the other ingredients as well as the labor. If I were the vendor I would feel devalued and dismissed by your attitude.

You would feel devalued at someone asking to buy extra of your sauce?! 😂

I don’t understand all the people saying this is unreasonable. I mean maybe the quantity you’re suggesting is OTT, if it’s really triple figures in cost by your calculations, but just asking for a big pot is totally fine. The worst can happen is they say no.
Bear in mind it may be more calories than you think with olive oil etc. but if it helps you eat more healthily overall then go for it but just don’t do it by the bucketload!

if they use a food delivery app have a look at the ingredients on there. They generally list them for allergen purposes.

I saw a bloke asking for a discount from an ice-cream van recently. I've seen a few such asks for discount that would been seen as odd traditionally in the UK due to custom.

However there are many cultures where bartering is perfectly normal, so depending on the culture of the takeaway owners, they may not be offended at all if you ask.

I would tell them their sauce is delicious and have they thought of bottling it and selling it, I'd love to buy it separately,

Definitely ask
I think they'll give it you

You should definitely go in and ask if you can buy a larger tub, I'm sure they would be delighted that you love their sauce and want more and are willing to pay.

Agree. A 'discount' is an odd way to put it. It's more like bulk buying where you'd naturally expect economies of scale.

What @MrsResponder said.
If the people running it are Lebanese OP, they will be far more skilled than you in the art of haggling! 😉

Yes, ask them, i have my own business and a sale is a sale, go for it xx

Agree with this 👆

If you dont ask you dont get, shy weans get nae cake 🤷🏻‍♀️ good luck hope you get it

Congratulations on losing weight. It is hard, I know. I managed to lose 2 stone (28 pounds) by switching from packet crisps to popcorn, sweets and chocolate to fruit, reducing bread and eating a few water biscuit crackers, like you, bumping up the salads and making my own dressing, using olive oil, crushed garlic, fresh herbs, salt, pepper, a little chilli powder or chili flakes, sliced scallions, packing in the tomatoes, celery, leaves, raw mushrooms, raw red peppers, etc etc or just using light mayonnaise. Please don't ask them to lose money while feeding you, life is hard enough as it is and food is becoming more and more expensive. It's so easy to grow salad leaves in containers, cut and come again, either indoors or outdoors, so you could save lots of money by doing that. I hope you try that out.

This ⬆️

I’d very nicely ask them for the recipe.

I asked my local Indian restaurant for the recipe of one of their dishes once and they gave it to me. It’s very involved and I can’t recreate it perfectly in my home kitchen so I rarely bother to make it myself but sometimes I do.

You are asking for a larger volume of sauce so I would have thought that larger volumes = better prices anyway. No harm in asking. I would have thought they would appreciate the custom for a larger order. So if its say £4 for one of the small pots you get for the dips at the curry house then say a coffee cup size cup you may get for £10 which is a much better price per litre due to the larger order.

As you aren't exactly a big customer, asking for a discount is rather rude, and more likely to be turned down. There isn't a big margin on restaurant food like this, so please don't think they are raking it in on small pots of sauce. The sauce also takes time to prepare, create and of course the costs of ingredients and staff.
Far better to ask if they are able to sell you a much larger pot, and just what would their best price be? Just be prepared for a negative answer, or what feels expensive to you price.
No harm in asking though.

How do you know they make it and not just buy it in 5 litre bottles?

I'd be more inclined to ask them the recipe they will be more then happy to share it I'd say just explain say, your food is incredible and I'm in love with the sauce, but it's a little expensive for my finances, so would it be ok if I asked you for the recipe ? Thankyou. 🤷