M&S takes the biscuit – and its cafe-using customers are not happy

MARKS and Spencer has angered customers by announcing it will no longer provide complimentary biscuits with hot drinks at its cafes.

The department store chain justified its decision by claiming it wanted to minimise food waste, arguing many visitors chose to throw their uneaten biscuits in the bin.

Customers wanting a treat served with their teas and coffees now have to make a specific request following the recent policy change. However, rather than praising the retailer’s green credentials, customers vented their outrage at the company on social media.

“Marks and Spencer what’s with the stinginess with the free biscuits in your cafes now?

“Two different M&S cafes and no mini treat with my coffee,” complained one customer on Twitter.

Another added: “M&S used to give you a little free biscuit with a tea. But, of late, my saucer is bare.”

Defending its decision, a Marks and Spencer spokesman said: “The free biscuit is still available, our customers just need to ask.

“This is an effort to improve food waste as we’ve found a lot of customers don’t eat the biscuit.”

For those who want to enjoy the oat biscuits at home, the retailer sells them in its food halls in packs of 22 for £1.

Consumer expert Sue Hayward told The Mail on Sunday: “M&S is caught between a rock and a hard place on this one. It’s saving waste by stopping automatically dishing out free biscuits, but facing complaints from customers who are moaning that they can’t get a free biscuit.”

Marks and Spencer recently came under fire from environmentalists for plastic wastage after giving out free toys to shoppers and their children. Earlier this month, customers criticised the promotion, called Little Shop, which gives away miniature collectable plastic versions of the company’s 25 most popular products to customers who spend over £20 at the checkout.

One Twitter user wrote: “Can you explain? I have seen that they can be recycled …but why make them in the first place?!

“Stop using unnecessary plastic just to get sales! It’s utterly disgusting and HAS TO STOP.” Another wrote: “Major fail M&S, who [are] not listening to the

‘M&S is saving waste by [not dishing] out free biscuits, but customers are moaning that they can’t get a free one’

public tide of anti-single use plastic.” Marks and Spencer responded by saying the company was “committed to reducing our use of plastic packaging and reusing or recycling any we do use”.

It added: “Little Shop collectables have all been designed to last and we’ve worked hard to ensure around a quarter of them are made from FSC (Forestry Stewardship Council) certified card where possible. We’ve also ensured all single-use packaging is made from paper instead of plastic.”