A customer at the popular bakery chain Greggs stormed out of a branch after she saw staff using a vacuum cleaner to clean a coffee machine. Charlotte Loftus, 37, was in the Gateshead branch on Durham Road when she captured the incident on her phone. The video went viral on TikTok, racking up over 600,000 views, shares, and likes.
Customer's Reaction
Charlotte, from Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, said she was waiting in the queue and saw an employee hoovering the top of the coffee machine. She was concerned that the vacuum might be the same one used on the floor, which she deemed unhygienic. She 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."
Charlotte left without buying anything and said the incident made her reconsider returning to Greggs. 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."
Social Media Defence
After the clip went viral, people claiming to work at Greggs defended the practice. One worker said: "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."
Charlotte disagreed with these claims, saying: "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."
Greggs Official Statement
An official spokesperson for Greggs said: "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."
