Last week I went into a well know supermarket restaurant for something to eat. In the heated counter in front of me was a selection of hot food required to make a truckers breakfast, the young lady behind the counter served the two lads before me with their big breakfasts using the appropriate tongs and spoons, even checking the new batch of beans with the temperature probe before putting them out. When it was my turn I asked for two sausages in a roll, the young lady got a small plate, put the sausages on it and then placed a roll in a sealed plastic bag next to them. I gave her a quizzical look to which she replied “sorry luv, were not allowed to put them in the roll for you due to Health and Safety”. Now coming from a construction back ground I’m not really up on my food H&S or food Hygiene regs, so can someone tell me what H&S she was on about? Murray

I agree with Safety Smurf. No valid H&S reason for her not doing it. Does the restaurant in question sell sandwiches? I don't suppose they come in kit form do they? It's either a litigation worry or management don't want the flow of people, and hence cash, being slowed by the server taking time to make your sausage bap.

Freshly cooked sausages, new roll - untouched by human hand? Probably good food hygiene practice. Did she handle the plate? Was she wearing gloves?

It's probably the girl's interpretation of what she had been briefed on. They probably meant for hygiene reasons and she's misunderstood. What I never get is how people handle cash and food respectively without any provisions for hand washing. I was in a sandwich bar in a village in Bucks and I saw how they took cash then handpicked the salads to put on the rolls.