Apology issued after man denied black pudding with his breakfast due to 'religious reasons'

A supermarket has apologised after a customer was told he could not have black pudding with his breakfast because of the chef's religious views. Alan MacKay, of Mapperley, Nottinghamshire, had dropped his wife off at work in West Bridgford on Wednesday morning before popping in to Sainsbury's Arnold branch for breakfast. But he was told that the chef's religious views meant they could not prepare the black pudding, shortly after 9am on March 23.



Sainsbury's has apologised for the confusion and said the chef is a Jevovah's Witness. A spokeswoman explained that there had been a mix-up between the two kitchen staff, with the other person misunderstanding that the chef had asked them to prepare the black pudding, not that black pudding could not be served. Jehovah's Witnesses regard blood as sacrosanct and if an animal hasn't been bled to their standards they won't eat it.

Mr MacKay was given a refund and instead ate his breakfast at home after buying crumpets, eggs and beans from the same store. He said: "I know it sounds trivial, but it's the principal behind it that's ridiculous. If she refuses to cook black pudding because of her religion, what is she doing working in a kitchen that sells it? She shouldn't be employed if she won't cook the menu. I was really looking forward to my black pudding. You get a good breakfast in there.



"But when I went in there to order my black pudding, like I have done before, I went away hungry. I came home and had my breakfast at 11.30am. I had crumpets, a poached egg and beans. I didn't buy black pudding because it's quite fatty so I only have it once a week or so. Sainsbury's does a wonderful black pudding, so that's why I was so disappointed. It's one of the few big stores that sells black pudding. Morrison's doesn't." A spokeswoman for Sainsbury's said: "We have apologised to the customer for the misunderstanding."