An American woman living in the UK was left stunned after discovering that her standard approach to eating takeaway food is considered a serious faux pas by Britons.
The Greggs Incident That Sparked a Storm
Stacey Gaw, 36, who moved from Oregon to Southampton last summer to be with her British husband, has been documenting her cultural discoveries online. However, her experience trying the popular bakery chain Greggs for the first time unexpectedly ignited a massive online debate about transatlantic food habits.
In a now-viral TikTok video, Gaw was seen sampling several items from the Greggs menu. The controversy arose not from her opinion on the food, but from her consumption method: she took the food home, reheated it, and served it on a plate, rather than eating it immediately from the bag.
Brits React: "Greggs Has To Be Eaten From The Bag!"
The online reaction was swift and decisive. British viewers flooded the comments section to educate Gaw on the proper, unwritten rules of enjoying a Greggs meal.
One exasperated user stated, 'Greggs has to be eaten from the bag!' while another commented, 'Normally eat Greggs out the bag the minute you get out the shop.' The act of plating was met with particular disbelief, with comments like 'Nobody puts Greggs on a plate' and 'I’ve never seen anyone eat Greggs off a plate. Like ever.'
Speaking about the backlash to What's the Jam, Gaw admitted her surprise. 'I see tons of videos of people plating their [takeout], so I thought it would be fine – it was not,' she joked. She defended her actions, adding, 'A lot of people said it was silly that I put my Greggs on a plate, but I have seen so many people plate their takeaways, so I just did it.'
Food Reviews and Life in a "Whole Other World"
Beyond the plating controversy, Gaw shared her reviews of the famous Greggs items. She found the sausage 'different. Strange. Mushy,' gave the bean and cheese melt a six out of ten, and rated the sausage roll an eight out of ten. Off-camera, she awarded the chicken bake a perfect ten and the sausage breakfast baguette a solid eight.
Reflecting on her move to the UK, Stacey described it as being in a 'whole other world,' but noted the people have been largely welcoming. 'It seems like they're excited to tell me about their home and how things are done,' she said. She has developed a particular fondness for the British tradition of the Sunday roast, calling it 'so delicious' and a 'cozy tradition.'
Despite occasional unkind comments online, Gaw remains committed to learning about her new home, embracing the cultural differences one plate—or bag—at a time.
