Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Cake-gate at work

319 replies

EnfysDilys · 31/03/2026 18:43

I made some Easter cakes for work colleagues today, enough for everyone with a few to spare.
One woman ate eight! She cheerfully announced this in front of everyone at lunchtime. This meant not everyone had one.
WIBU next time to leave a note reminding her to share! Or hiding them from her? Or setting an alarm around them …

OP posts:
SparklyLeader · 01/04/2026 21:40

Tell them to come by your desk to get one or walk around and hand them out. You will not be able to stop someone who eats 8 at a time.

Applecup · 01/04/2026 21:42

3luckystars · 31/03/2026 21:22

I think it’s funny! It doesn’t really matter who ate them but really she is hilarious to admit that! She sounds like Eleanor Oliphant.

Yeah. Really hilarious being such a greedy pig.

DugnuttEyeBoogies · 01/04/2026 21:48

Lainie · 01/04/2026 19:12

could you send an e mail asking who didnt get one as you are doing a new batch, then bring them in in small cellophane bags and hand them to those that went without and dont let her near them, greedy pig :(

Yeah and make it loud and obvious when you give them out!

Julimia · 01/04/2026 21:59

Good grief! Hercactions say nothing about you and everything about her. Forget it.

LadyVioletBridgerton · 01/04/2026 22:03

I can’t believe she announced it 😂 I always feel really guilty if I go back for a second cake, just in case someone doesn’t get one. There’s definitely a lot of staking out the joint before I decide whether to take a second cake 🧁

NotSmugEVowner · 01/04/2026 22:14

MiddleAgedDread · 31/03/2026 19:45

Next time you bake I’d send an email / teams message round along the lines of “cakes in the kitchen, please help yourself but I’d get in there quick before Fat Sandra eats them all” (insert alternative name as appropriate)
I bet she’s one of those people who only has a cuppa soup for lunch but can’t understand why she’s not loosing weight on slimming world?

This! I love an easter egg hunt!

DontEatTheMushies · 01/04/2026 22:35

Was she the type that takes credit for others peoples work?

Sounds like it. Rather greedy!!

AngelinaFibres · 01/04/2026 22:38

7238SM · 31/03/2026 18:48

I'd suggest a massive snap trap, like a rat trap, and if anyone reaches a 2nd time- they get trapped!

Unless they were tiny, mouth sized pieces and not obvious there was 1 for each person, she is incredibly rude. She has shown herself up though by announcing her gluttony to the team! 😆🐷

Presumably the size of her backside makes her liking for cake very clear.

Blueink · 01/04/2026 23:10

Some people just selfish and obtuse. Irritating but not worth giving extra thought to.

Dannydevitoiloveyourart · 01/04/2026 23:15

We don’t know her upbringing or struggles, which may inform her behaviour as an adult.

Growing up in poverty in a large family, we learned to view food/ treats as a scarcity. I and my siblings would eat very quickly to increase our chance of getting any leftovers before they were gone, so we didn’t go to bed hungry. Added to that, my parents were immigrants so didn’t always know or correct us on British cultural etiquette.

My attitudes to hoarding and scoffing any food in front of me because it might not be there the next day, lasted well beyond my childhood periods of poverty and well into young adulthood.

Whenever I was in social settings outside of the family, I had a habit of eating as much as I could in as little time possible, even if the food was meant to be shared. In my mind this was fair game because I assumed everyone else did the same as me, so if they waited around to eat it meant they didn’t actually want the food.

I am really grateful for a good friend who quietly pulled me to the side after notice my selfish behaviour a few times, and pointed out to me that I would often eat more than my share, but explained that the correct etiquette was to make sure there was enough to go round for everyone before going for more/ seconds. This was a genuine revaluation to me at the time, and once I knew, I made an effort to do better

That’s all to say, OP’s colleague may well be a greedy CF, but the likelihood is that she is just not aware that she’s doing anything wrong, and her approach to food may be borne out of hardships in earlier life.

A gentle word with her next time OP bake cakes for the office might be all it takes to solve the issue.

murasaki · 01/04/2026 23:21

No, and I'm sorry you had a tough upbringing, it's much more likely that she is a cheeky fucker.

Dannydevitoiloveyourart · 01/04/2026 23:26

murasaki · 01/04/2026 23:21

No, and I'm sorry you had a tough upbringing, it's much more likely that she is a cheeky fucker.

I think the fact she announced it meant that she genuinely has no idea. Sounds like something I would have done when I was younger - thinking I was showing my appreciation to the baker without realising I was just showing myself up 😬

BenedictsButton · 01/04/2026 23:33

DugnuttEyeBoogies · 01/04/2026 21:48

Yeah and make it loud and obvious when you give them out!

FGS all she did was eat some chocolate Easter nests. It’s not like the OP slaved over the oven all day. If they hadn’t told everyone how many they ate no one would’ve probably known who ate extra. It would have just been assumed that a few people had two. It doesn’t warrant her being publicly shamed in the office. I’d rather be a glutton than a bully.

7238SM · 01/04/2026 23:55

BenedictsButton · 01/04/2026 23:33

FGS all she did was eat some chocolate Easter nests. It’s not like the OP slaved over the oven all day. If they hadn’t told everyone how many they ate no one would’ve probably known who ate extra. It would have just been assumed that a few people had two. It doesn’t warrant her being publicly shamed in the office. I’d rather be a glutton than a bully.

I think we found the culprit! 😆

Idontcareboutthestateofmyhair · 01/04/2026 23:58

Who the fuck eats 8 cakes? Especially not their own fucking cakes!

Mermaidsarereal · 02/04/2026 07:16

8! I’m a fatty but even I couldn’t eat 8 cakes that’s crazy! I think next time you make some hand them out individually to everyone and if anyone doesn’t want their cake then the cake hoover can have it. At least you know your cakes are good! 😅

AntiqueBabyLoanSmurf · 02/04/2026 07:17

I’d rather be a glutton than a bully.

It's perfectly possible to be neither; you aren't forced to choose at least one of them.

Charlize43 · 02/04/2026 08:45

Name & shame by group email.

'I baked a cake for everyone for Easter, but unfortunately Ima Scoffer ate eight of them so you'll have to work out among yourselves how to share the rest.

Happy Easter everyone!

Sheepsmellnice · 02/04/2026 09:42

Greedy cow

BenedictsButton · 02/04/2026 11:34

AntiqueBabyLoanSmurf · 02/04/2026 07:17

I’d rather be a glutton than a bully.

It's perfectly possible to be neither; you aren't forced to choose at least one of them.

I am aware that they aren’t mutually exclusive. But thank you for missing the point.
Eating numerous cakes doesn’t warrant public humiliation from colleagues.

OnlyMabelInTheBuilding · 02/04/2026 12:23

BenedictsButton · 02/04/2026 11:34

I am aware that they aren’t mutually exclusive. But thank you for missing the point.
Eating numerous cakes doesn’t warrant public humiliation from colleagues.

What does it warrant? Everyone just ignoring it? They were supposed to shared between everyone and some didn’t have any because she had eight. What’s to stop her doing it again?

AntiqueBabyLoanSmurf · 02/04/2026 13:48

Charlize43 · 02/04/2026 08:45

Name & shame by group email.

'I baked a cake for everyone for Easter, but unfortunately Ima Scoffer ate eight of them so you'll have to work out among yourselves how to share the rest.

Happy Easter everyone!

Ima Scoffer Grin

Either that or Henrietta Plateful!

YerMotherWasAHamster · 02/04/2026 13:59

BenedictsButton · 02/04/2026 11:34

I am aware that they aren’t mutually exclusive. But thank you for missing the point.
Eating numerous cakes doesn’t warrant public humiliation from colleagues.

Being selfish requires it being brought up so that in future the person is more considerate.

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 02/04/2026 14:00

I don’t think it is bullying to point out that one person’s greed in eating 8 cakes has meant that other people have missed out on a treat that was meant for everyone.

Edited because I tagged the wrong poster.

AntiqueBabyLoanSmurf · 02/04/2026 14:01

BenedictsButton · 02/04/2026 11:34

I am aware that they aren’t mutually exclusive. But thank you for missing the point.
Eating numerous cakes doesn’t warrant public humiliation from colleagues.

But neither is eating other people's cakes acceptable. It's not a competition.

Also, I think 'public humiliation' is very much open to interpretation. Are they subjecting her to the Shame Walk from Game of Thrones or just understandably openly cross and upset between themselves that somebody took their share of the cakes?

I think, if the multiple cake-taker was so upset at the thought of her greed being discussed and criticised by those affected, she wouldn't have openly boasted about it in the first place.

It really shouldn't be necessary to have to issue raffle tickets or set up a checkpoint when bringing in cakes for adults in a professional workplace; everybody knows that you take one and then, if there are spares/some people don't want one, you can check discreetly later before taking a second, to make sure that you aren't depriving anybody else of their fair share. You aren't toddlers or a bunch of monkeys at feeding time at the zoo.