AIBU to think open bakery items in M&S are unhygienic?

[Guthealing]

Went to m and s on the way home - it was busy. I was absolutely shocked at the bakery area and then nearer the front of the store a table with unpackaged loaves of bread ?

As it was after school there were children there and I saw 2 touch some of the pastries , people were looking at them talking and breathing all over them and one woman coughed 🤮 the loaves of bread at the other side were being picked up and put down , a child was moving them about, how can this be hygienic??! Why is the bakery area not covered in some way? I usually go to Waitrose and their bakery items are in a cabinet at least. M and s isn’t cheap so why are they not more hygienic!!!!

We went to Tebay services and I was off doing something when my snotty nosed toddler came running up to me with a chocolate brownie that he’d just picked up from the cafe and ran off with. We didn’t want it but I went to pay for it rather than just putting it back. I’m sure others would have just put it back.

I note that they now have Perspex surrounds stopping this from happening anymore which is a good thing.

Ugh, I hate this and totally agree. I have watched children sticking fingers into icing and picking up various bakery items while the parent looks on. It just amazes me that M and S don’t cover things and that parents don’t keep their kids’ sticky mits away from food in shops.

Totally! And while I’m trying to open, tong, bag etc… My kid is opening all of the lower ones, and licking all of the donuts. It’s impossible…

Yes!!! I never buy feel the same

Food is open on buffets i dont the difference and children should not be anywhere near it supermarkets are not playgrounds

I was horrified when I first saw the table. Gail's and many other bakeries trying to be posh seem to have tables ans shelves like this. As well as the hygiene issues, don't the products get all dry?
There is a cafe near me and each morning as I walk to the station I see lovely looking pastries lined up in the window near the door and as far away from the counter as can be. Half way through the day the sun will be blazing on that window and the door is left open throughout summer so the flies must be awful.

I was horrified when I first saw the table. Gail's and many other bakeries trying to be posh seem to have tables ans shelves like this. As well as the hygiene issues, don't the products get all dry?
There is a cafe near me and each morning as I walk to the station I see lovely looking pastries lined up in the window near the door and as far away from the counter as can be. Half way through the day the sun will be blazing on that window and the door is left open throughout summer so the flies must be awful.

I tend to not buy items that are in the open because some people have disgusting hygiene habits.
although I did regularly used to eat the salad bar at Pizza Hut and Harvester so my immune system is extra strong

These self serve, uncovered areas are called sneeze counters in our family. That might be why my DD won't eat from the pasta bar at her school - children are remarkably unhygienic, I'm surprised anyone will eat from it.

Hamish Gunn

I’m not precious at all but I have thought this myself. It made me think about the programme I watched during covid, when they showed when you spoke how far your saliva travelled.I do buy from there (not very often though) but I take from high up and at the back.

I literally think this every time I am there. It’s disgusting and they are all at eye/face level and sit there all day. I expect more from M&S. It’s grim.

The supermarket Mercadona in Spain, has everything covered. It’s not easy to remove bread and pastries from under the plastic covers and they insist anyone helping themselves uses the provided disposable gloves. I was told off in there by an assistant because I didn’t put the gloves on.

I never buy anything that's been sitting there uncovered be it cafes, supermarkets, or anywhere.

As I said, you do you.

Absolutely, I can't do bakery and I'm pretty sure it was the pick and mix that poisoned me from the cinema, been years and I still can't eat anything off uncovered items

Dropping dead isn’t the point. I don’t want my food manhandled or coughed over by the great unwashed or snotty grubby kids who have never been taught to behave. It constantly amazes me on MN what minging low standards people will accept.

They should have those plastic screens at least which need to be lifted and then you take your item with tongs. Think COOP has them.

But people can't lift the sheeting or use the tongs without using their hands and often pit the tongs back in the bread basket, it's revolting. If you use the tongs you should always wash your hand before eating.

Yes, I won't buy them, especially as our local has issues with people bringing their dogs in with them.

A relative of mine takes immunosuppresent drugs and has to be really careful with hygiene, I asked the bakery manager if they could supply me with wrapped up bread that hadn't already been put out on the shelves and they refused 🙄.

The cabinet at Waitrose is no better. People just open it, touch all the croissants until they find the one they want. Tongs get dropped on the floor then put back, children lick their fingers and wipe the icing off the pastries.

Wrapped and sealed bakery items for me, and I don’t care if that makes me an uptight hygiene freak. Most people are gross with low standards.

I only buy the Lidl bakery items when they're freshly out, and I get them from the back, the kitchen is right behind the display. I am not a fan of m&s open bakery cakes to begin with (overpriced and dry) but I agree op. I have seen everything from an old woman with a hacking cough, no attempt to cover mouth, an old man changing his mind after going through them all, then putting it back, a bite out of one by an unidentified individual, finger prints, sometimes indent from thr tongs, and then they give up. Oh and two middle aged women, one picked a pastry up, "Look at this, do you want one?", Her friend said no, and she said, Well suit yourself than, I was going to pay" and huffily put it back! 🤢

The tongs defeat the purpose, maybe disposable gloves would be a good idea. I have seen these used in other places.

You hope.

Gross. Even in pret the cabinet thing they have behind the counter with pastries and stuff is always full of flies. I pointed one out to the staff and they just waved it away. I asked were they not going to throw that thing away that had the fly they said no. I guess they knew they were all contaminated by the flies!

Ive never given it any thought, or even noticed any unsanitary behaviour from other customers!
And i do practise reasonable food hygeine standards at home.
(But I do commit several MN hygeine crimes! )