A customer at the popular bakery chain Greggs walked out of a branch in Gateshead after witnessing an employee using a vacuum cleaner to clean a coffee machine. Charlotte Loftus, 37, captured the incident on her mobile phone at the Durham Road store and posted the footage on TikTok, where it quickly went viral, amassing over 600,000 views, shares, and likes.
Customer's account of the incident
Charlotte said: "I was waiting in the queue and I could see she was hoovering out the top of the coffee machine and it just looked suspiciously like a normal domestic hoover. I was concerned that it could be the same hoover they use on the floor, which would have been unhygienic." She added that she had her phone in hand and took a quick video, not expecting it to attract such widespread attention.
So alarmed was Charlotte by what she saw that she left without purchasing anything, citing hygiene concerns. She explained: "When I saw it, I thought if that is how they're cleaning it out, really they should do it when there's no customers in - at least not when there's a massive queue. Surely it wouldn't have just been me who was thinking that it was the hoover off the floor. I was actually going in for a coffee and I turned around and walked away."
Response from Greggs employees and official statement
Following the viral clip, individuals claiming to be Greggs employees defended the practice. One stated: "Greggs worker here, we don't hoover the floors. We wish we could, it would save a lot of time - but we aren't allowed to. The hoover is literally for the coffee machines and the coffee machines alone - hope this helps." Another added: "Greggs manager here - 100% they never use the hoover for the floors. It's only for the coffee beans when they got jammed or [if] the hoppers need a hoover before they are washed. Hope that reassures you."
An official Greggs spokesperson commented: "While this isn't reflective of our usual procedures, our shops follow clear hygiene standards and the equipment shown is not used for floor cleaning."
Customer remains unconvinced
Despite these reassurances, Charlotte remained skeptical. She said: "I don't think it's believable that they would have another hoover specifically for the coffee machine. I think it's anything for quickness and ease to be honest. If something's got stuck I think it's probably been the case of oh, we'll just quickly hoover that out."
The incident has made Charlotte question whether she will visit Greggs again. She remarked: "It's made me think twice about going to that Greggs store in the future. It's unsanitary. For such a national company, I didn't expect it."
