Gayle Bayston is a frustrated Asda shopper. She writes: “I have been going to Asda in Wakefield for a very long time. They sell bread rolls which have only one day sale on them. Therefore, because I didn’t need these bread rolls until the end of the week, I started asking for them frozen, which they sold to me, so I could defrost as and when I needed them that kept them really fresh.
“Then all of a sudden three weeks ago they refused to sell them to me frozen as they said it was ‘illegal’, so I thought fine. Then last week I went to the bread counter and asked if they had any fresher ones than those that were out, only to be told: ‘Yes, but they are still frozen. Is that okay?’ Of course, I said, even better.
“Then I went in on September 2 and again was told that selling them to me frozen was illegal. I asked the lady how come I was offered them last week?”
It would appear the answer was somewhat frosty, so Gayle asks: “Could you please let me know if it is illegal or not to sell them if the customer asks for them frozen? I’m getting really frustrated with this, so perhaps you could clarify this for me.”
Would that I could. I contacted the Asda press office via its website. Left a message to be directed to the ‘team member responsible’ and gave a two-week deadline. That’s come and gone and I am none the wiser.
However, I can only assume it is store policy and not a question of legality. The product is baked and then frozen. You either sell it frozen, or you defrost it first. The only info on the clear label is the price and best before date. Unless the issue is the one-day date itself which is beholden to some sort of trading standards requirement. If so, I hope you are reading this Mr Cable and consider it along with the other lumps of red tape you are busily unravelling. And if anyone else knows differently, please get in touch, and that includes Asda.
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