Tesco apology to bread ban shopper

When Christina Birch attempted to buy enough bread to feed 100 guests at a barbecue she was hosting she made a beeline for Tesco in Whitchurch.

But when she tried to snap up 18 fresh baguettes, staff slapped a restriction on the number she was allowed to buy, telling her she could only buy six baguettes at a time.

A Tesco spokesman today apologised for the mishap, adding that the company is "a retailer not a wholesaler".

Mrs Birch, from Brown Moss, near Whitchurch, said she had wanted to buy the bread for the barbecue on the morning of the event to ensure its freshness.

"When I went into Tesco at Whitchurch and attempted to purchase 18 baguettes, I was told rather rudely by the young lady in the bread section that I could not purchase more than six at a time - any more than that had to be pre-ordered at least one week in advance," she said.

"I was absolutely amazed that a store the size of Tesco should have such a ridiculous, outdated and utterly stupid rule.

"A customer is a customer whether they purchase one or 50 - so would I be restricted if I wanted to purchase 20 baking potatoes and 10 cauliflowers? It's incredible."

Mrs Birch said she left Tesco empty-handed and walked to the town's T O Williams bakery and deli.

"They only had a few baguettes but allowed me to purchase all they had and offered alternatives," she said.

"The end result was that I was able to buy an additional number of soft white rolls and even went back later in the day to purchase more.

"Of course we made sure that all our guests were made aware of Tesco and their ridiculous sales policy."

A Tesco spokesman said: "We are sorry for any inconvenience.

"We are a retailer not a wholesaler so if a customer wishes to purchase a large quantity of any one product, the store will use their discretion to ensure that there will be enough for other customers.

"Customers can always make a special order if they know in advance that they need a large amount of any product."

By Tom Johannsen