A Scottish postwoman has described her astonishment after purchasing a vegan pasty from Aldi, only to find it contained absolutely no filling.
The Empty Lunch Surprise
Sophie Calderwood, a 26-year-old vegan from Blackness, Scotland, bought a box of frozen 'No Sausage & Bean' pasties from the Aldi store in Livingston, West Lothian. The incident occurred last month when she was looking forward to her lunch.
After cooking one of the pasties, she took a bite and immediately noticed something was wrong. "It just felt really light, I didn't feel anything in it," Sophie explained. She continued eating, assuming the filling would appear, but the entire pastry was empty. Perplexed, she decided to cook the second pasty from the packet in her air fryer, cutting it in half to check. To her dismay, it was also just a hollow shell of puff pastry.
A Tasty Product Gone Wrong
The product, which Sophie had enjoyed before, is advertised on Aldi's website as containing seasoned soya protein pieces, haricot beans, and a vegan cheese alternative, all wrapped in puff pastry. Sophie, who has been vegan for four years, said the pasties were previously one of her favourite meat-free alternatives.
"It was just annoying because they are really tasty," she commented. "The bakes are really good, but when they've got nothing in them they're so dry and disgusting." This experience has made her reluctant to purchase the item again, fearing she might waste her money on another empty pastry.
The Refund Dilemma
Upon discovering the fault, Sophie contacted Aldi's customer service via social media. She was advised to return to the shop where she made the purchase to request a refund. However, she admitted she couldn't be bothered to make the special trip for a product that cost just 99p.
"I didn't bother going into the shop about it because it's kind of embarrassing to walk up - especially in Aldi because there's nobody about until you're at the till," she said.
An Aldi spokesman responded to the incident with a touch of humour, stating: "When we said, 'no sausage and bean', this isn't quite what we had in mind." The spokesperson confirmed they had apologised to Miss Calderwood and assured that the product did not meet their usual high standards. They again encouraged her to return the item to her nearest store for a full refund.
