A self-checkout glitch at Waitrose in Scotland has left shoppers frustrated after being prevented from purchasing Christmas treats containing alcohol before 10am. Due to the country’s strict alcohol laws, which dictate when alcoholic beverages can be sold, products like Christmas puddings and cakes laced with spirits have been mistakenly flagged as restricted items.  

 

Scottish regulations prevent the sale of alcohol in shops between 10pm and 10am. While such laws are designed to curb alcohol misuse, they’ve inadvertently extended to festive delicacies, leaving shoppers baffled and irritated. One shopper, Stewart Meldrum from Renfrewshire, shared how his wife Carol was prevented from buying a tiramisu at a self-service checkout. “At the self-service checkout, she was notified ‘assistance required,’” he explained to the *Scottish Daily Mail*. “Baffled as to why, the assistant told her that the product she was trying to scan through contained alcohol and as it was before 10am, the purchase was unlawful.”  

 

The problem didn’t stop there. Meldrum said he witnessed another shopper experiencing the same issue while trying to buy a Christmas cake. Frustrated, Carol ultimately left without her dessert. “What next? Will they cordon off the tiramisu at night?” Meldrum, 75, asked. “Why do we in Scotland tolerate such ludicrous micro-governance? I’m seething.”  

 

Waitrose, whose festive range includes products such as a £15 Cointreau and Cranberry Christmas pudding and a £19 fruit cake infused with brandy, apologized to affected customers. A spokesperson for the retailer assured shoppers that the issue was a “temporary error” and would be fixed shortly. “We’re very sorry for the inconvenience Mr and Mrs Meldrum experienced – this was a temporary error with our system and will be resolved very soon,” they said.  

 

The controversy highlights growing frustrations around Scotland’s unique alcohol laws, which not only restrict sales during specific hours but also ban multibuy offers and enforce a minimum pricing policy. Recently, the minimum price per unit increased to 65p, meaning a bottle of wine now costs at least £6.34, while a bottle of whisky cannot be sold for less than £18.20.  

 

Critics argue that such policies disproportionately impact Scottish retailers. Annie Wells, the Scottish Conservatives’ alcohol spokesperson, accused Waitrose of overcomplicating the rules. “Common sense should prevail to ensure that these restrictions are kept within the spirit of the law instead of depriving grown adults from purchasing quintessential Christmas delicacies,” she said.  

 

Meanwhile, concerns have grown that stricter alcohol pricing and sales laws are driving Scots to shop in northern England or order from online retailers offering lower prices. Hassan Lal, district president of the Federation of Independent Retailers, expressed worry about the long-term impact on small businesses. “We’ve been left with a very unlevel playing field,” he said. “People are still drinking the same but they are finding alternative ways of buying it. It is the small independent Scottish retailers who are being hit, and the English supermarkets are making the money.”  

 

The situation at Waitrose serves as an example of how regulations designed to tackle alcohol-related issues can sometimes cause unintended inconvenience. While Waitrose works to resolve the glitch, shoppers like Carol Meldrum are left questioning the balance between regulation and common sense, particularly when Christmas treats like tiramisu and fruit cake are flagged as contraband before breakfast time.

 

Based on a report by Daily Telegraph 2024-12-18

 

 

 

3 hours ago, Social Media said:

The situation at Waitrose serves as an example of how regulations designed to tackle alcohol-related issues can sometimes cause unintended inconvenience. 

 

No it doesn't. The problem is wholly Waitrose's staff incompetence. 

 

3 hours ago, Social Media said:

While Waitrose works to resolve the glitch, shoppers like Carol Meldrum are left questioning the balance between regulation and common sense, particularly when Christmas treats like tiramisu and fruit cake are flagged as contraband before breakfast time.

 

If shoppers think that the failure of Waitrose to manage there POS system correctly reflects on regulations they it's the common sense of the shopper that needs to be questioned. 

"Scrooge" supermarkets have been blasted after banning customers from banning Christmas desserts if they contain booze outside licensing hours. Scotland's draconian alcohol rules mean that alcoholic tipples cannot be purchased in shops before 10am in the morning and after 10pm at night.

These regulations put the country at odds with the rest of the UK as booze can be bought at any time, and was brought in almost 20 years ago by the Labour/Lib Dem administration. The curfew means that anything drink containing alcohol cannot be sold in shops late at night or early in the morning.

https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/scrooge-shops-ban-sale-christmas-34322337

Forget the Christmas pudding, it's ridiculous that you can't buy a bottle of wine in a shop at 10:15pm.

 

Why not? What happened to freedom of choice? What if you had a late night at the office and fancy a tipple before bed? These nanny state governments love to control the "children" even though half of them are total degenerates themselves.  

 

Puritanical, paternalistic hypocrites. 

21 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

Forget the Christmas pudding, it's ridiculous that you can't buy a bottle of wine in a shop at 10:15pm.

 

Why not? What happened to freedom of choice? What if you had a late night at the office and fancy a tipple before bed? These nanny state governments love to control the "children" even though half of them are total degenerates themselves.  

 

Puritanical, paternalistic hypocrites. 

 

   They are Scottish, people would be drinking all day morning and night if it wasn't restricted 

7 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

   They are Scottish, people would be drinking all day morning and night if it wasn't restricted 

 

Up to them. 

 

Better than eating fried Mars Bars.

1 hour ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

   They are Scottish, people would be drinking all day morning and night if it wasn't restricted 

 

Look at the country we are stuck next to and have been forced to subsidise for the past 300 odd years - it's enough to turn anyone to drink.

I hope haggis is on the 24 hour list.

12 hours ago, JonnyF said:

Forget the Christmas pudding, it's ridiculous that you can't buy a bottle of wine in a shop at 10:15pm.

 

Why not? What happened to freedom of choice? What if you had a late night at the office and fancy a tipple before bed? These nanny state governments love to control the "children" even though half of them are total degenerates themselves.  

 

Puritanical, paternalistic hypocrites. 

The last time I was in England I witnessed firsthand the morning drinkers, 7:00am Supermarket opens, 7:15am alcoholics standing in the supermarket car park guzzling cider.

 

Addiction is not a choice, but it a profit driver for England’s supermarkets.

 

 

Just now, Chomper Higgot said:

The last time I was in England I witnessed firsthand the morning drinkers, 7:00am Supermarket opens, 7:15am alcoholics standing in the supermarket car park guzzling cider.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lots of them were there?

 

 

Which part of England was this?

5 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

 

 

Lots of them were there?

 

 

Which part of England was this?

I didn’t count, but in would say half a dozen.

 

Oxfordshire.

 

 

 

 

12 hours ago, JonnyF said:

Forget the Christmas pudding, it's ridiculous that you can't buy a bottle of wine in a shop at 10:15pm.

 

Why not? What happened to freedom of choice? What if you had a late night at the office and fancy a tipple before bed? These nanny state governments love to control the "children" even though half of them are total degenerates themselves.  

 

Puritanical, paternalistic hypocrites. 

 

 

And here you are, in a country where there are a lot more restricted hours when you can't buy alcohol.

17 hours ago, Social Media said:

The problem didn’t stop there. Meldrum said he witnessed another shopper experiencing the same issue while trying to buy a Christmas cake.

He was heard to say "I don't believe it!"

 

Yes, I know, that was Mr Meldrew.

 

 

 

 

 

40 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

I didn’t count, but in would say half a dozen.

 

Oxfordshire.

 

 

 

 

Interesting, which part. I lived there for over 10 years but it’s huge and very diverse. Can you be a little more specific in details?

6 minutes ago, coolcarer said:

Interesting, which part. I lived there for over 10 years but it’s huge and very diverse. Can you be a little more specific in details?

Banbury.

 

 

10 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Banbury.

 

 

That’s exactly where I still have my house. Where in Banbury did this take place? Supermarkets I know open around 6am 

8 minutes ago, coolcarer said:

That’s exactly where I still have my house. Where in Banbury did this take place?

What a coincidence 🙂

 

Lidls, you know it?

 

A very good cycling club, super friendly and put in a very good time trial that ran up the hill from Hanwell, up the hill to Arlescote and back down via Edgehill to Wroxton.

 

Fabulous cycling country.

 

 

13 hours ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

   They are Scottish, people would be drinking all day morning and night if it wasn't restricted 

If that is what they want to do, they still can, just buy it between 10.00am and 10.00pm.

 

That is what makes the whole thing so silly.

2 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

What a coincidence 🙂

 

Lidls, you know it?

 

A very good cycling club, super friendly and put in a very good tine trial that ran up the hill from Hanwell, up the hill to Arlescote and back down via Edgehill to Wroxton.

 

Fabulous cycling country.

 

 

Yes, indeed. So which lidls in Banbury did this take place.

Just now, coolcarer said:

Yes, indeed. So what supermarket in Banbury did this take place.

I told you Lidls.

 

 

4 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

I told you Lidls.

 

 

Yes which one, was it near your cycle route

3 minutes ago, coolcarer said:

Yes which one, was it near your cycle route

I didn’t know there was more than one.

 

It was near the town center (ish), I’m not a resident of Banbury and never have been so that’s as good a location as I can recall.

 

Are you feeling home sick or is there a some other point to all these questions? 

 

Refer above for location of cycle race course.

1 minute ago, Chomper Higgot said:

I didn’t know there was more than one.

 

It was near the town center (ish), I’m not a resident of Banbury and never have been so that’s as good a location as I can recall.

 

Are you feeling home sick or is there a some other point to all these questions? 

 

Refer above for location of cycle race course.

Yes a little homesick sometimes but this is about you witnessing half a dozen drunks guzzling cider at 7am out lidls or so you claim

Just now, coolcarer said:

Yes a little homesick sometimes but this is about you witnessing half a dozen drunks guzzling cider at 7am out lidls or so you claim

It happened.

 

And happens.

 

I hear the booze in Lidls is cheap.

 

It might not have been Cider.

1 minute ago, Chomper Higgot said:

It happened.

 

And happens.

 

I hear the booze in Lidls is cheap.

 

It might not have been Cider.

Never go, it’s nowhere near town. No it could have been anything you decided you wanted it to be.

 

2 minutes ago, coolcarer said:

Never go, it’s nowhere near town. No it could have been anything you decided you wanted it to be.

 

Or it could have exactly what I said.

 

Anyway don’t take it to heart, I wasn’t denigrating your home town, like I said, the cycling club are super friendly and the local countryside is fabulous.

 

Up and down that hill is what is referred to as ‘testing’.

 

Definitely worth a revisit.
 

14 minutes ago, coolcarer said:

Yes a little homesick sometimes but this is about you witnessing half a dozen drunks guzzling cider at 7am out lidls or so you claim

On his way to the Paper shop to pick up the Guardian.

1 minute ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Or it could have exactly what I said.

 

Anyway don’t take it to heart, I wasn’t denigrating your home town, like I said, the cycling club are super friendly and the local countryside is fabulous.

 

Up and down that hill is what is referred to as ‘testing’.

 

Definitely worth a revisit.
 

Or it couldn’t. Depends really. It could be anything at all in those bottles if there were any to begin with that is.

 

what on earth have I got to take to heart? 

Just now, norfolkandchance said:

On his way to the Paper shop to pick up the Guardian.

I think I might have indeed bought a Guardian.

 

I often do when I’m in the UK.

 

1 minute ago, Chomper Higgot said:

I think I might have indeed bought a Guardian.

 

I often do when I’m in the UK.

 

Did you wrap it round a bottle of cider?