locations of scoop and saves

KittyKate

I went to one of those scoop shops a few months ago with some friends (I didn't buy anything- see why below!)

YUCK! How can anyone shop at these places!? It was literally just rows of clear lidded bins with a scoop thrown into the rice/pasta/flour - everyone sticking their hands in, no gloves, disgusting. And some of the hands I saw going in...dirty hands, hands with plasters or scabs, long dirty fingernails, children's hands going into the sweets!

When I was younger there was one in my home town, my mum took me in and we were about to buy some coconut mushrooms when we see a woodlouse crawling through them-ugh. We left! And found that a bag of coconut mushrooms from Woolworths cost the same anyway!

I'm happy to save a few pence, but there is NO WAY I would ever shop in a scoop shop. You might say your local one is clean and it might be spotless but it doesn't stop some mucky b*gger picking his nose and then poking his hand into the flour to pick up the scoop!

hilstep2000

I use ours, but it's run by a friend of mine. She has quite strict rules about people using her shop, and I've never had a problem.

But then, it's horses for courses I suppose.

hilstep2000

We have two, Kings Road, St Leonards on Sea, and Bexhill-on-sea

Justamum

I don't use them very often, but if I do it's just to buy bird food.

beetrootjuicer

Hadn't really thought about this before but I buy organic oat bran and the only place I can find it keeps it in scoop bins. I must say they only have a few bins of cereals and it's absolutely immaculate there and I've never seen any customers being 'unsavoury'. Having said that they also sell things like nuts, pulses and rice loose but in containers where you pull a handle and the amount you want drops into a bag (in theory, anyway, guess who had 5kg of brazil nuts all over the shop floor! ):o and this is much more hygienic. Just had a dreadful thought! They would have thrown them away after they'd swept them up, wouldn't they? :eek: :eek: :eek:

But at least all these goods are dry - what I really don't fancy are those help yourself salad bars, etc. that supermarkets have. All open to coughs, sneezes, and dirty fingers helping themselves to a taster.

EDIT: Meant to add a warning - somehow you will ALWAYS end up buying more than you actually need from a scoop bin and get a shock when you get to the checkout! :rotfl:

pigpen

I don't use them.. I thin they are REALLY expensive.. when you work out how much you'd pay for 100g of the same from the supermarket.. and I have the 'dirty hand' thing as well.. I am so bad I won't even have ice in a pub.. after tests showed most had traces of human faeces in and some had faeces from more than 10 people :eek::eek::eek: .. good job I don't like ice!!

The_shuffs

Hi all we used to have a shop like that in my town not been there for years now but i see what you mean about dirty hands etc not nice and ours used to be expensive.Rachael x

hardpressed

pigpen wrote: »

I don't use them.. I thin they are REALLY expensive.. when you work out how much you'd pay for 100g of the same from the supermarket.. and I have the 'dirty hand' thing as well.. I am so bad I won't even have ice in a pub.. after tests showed most had traces of human faeces in and some had faeces from more than 10 people :eek::eek::eek: .. good job I don't like ice!!

Not only do I avoid ice I also don't touch the peanuts. Just think, man go to the loo, doesn't wash hands, then sticks his hands in the bowl of peanuts on the bar!! Of course women wouldn't do that, would they?

beetrootjuicer

pigpen wrote: »

I thin they are REALLY expensive.. when you work out how much you'd pay for 100g of the same from the supermarket..

Yeah, you're right, Pigpen. Rachael made the same point too. The shop I'm talking about also sells everything, except the oatbran :rolleyes: ready packed, but the loose stuff is invariably more expensive than the packeted branded stuff. Wonder why. Is it extra cost of handling - the staff have to fill up the bins - but then they have to stack the shelves too. Mind you might well be the wastage from the clumsy customers too!

KittyKate

pigpen wrote: »

I don't use them.. I thin they are REALLY expensive.. when you work out how much you'd pay for 100g of the same from the supermarket.. and I have the 'dirty hand' thing as well.. I am so bad I won't even have ice in a pub.. after tests showed most had traces of human faeces in and some had faeces from more than 10 people :eek::eek::eek: .. good job I don't like ice!!

OMG I didn't know that! I always have ice...I don't think I'll bother any more actually, I remember when I worked in a bar our ice maker was in a filthy room and we used to put it in a bucket to take to the bar!
I *never* touch complimentary mints or sweets unless individually wrapped. Not everyone washes their hands after the loo in restaurants!

I also cannot use salad bars because I once saw someone sneeze over a Pizza Hut one (no, sneeze guards are rubbish) and because of the way the light was you could see it float over the food! I also have seen flies in the one in Morrisons.

I sound like a total germs freak, but I would never, ever eat food that has been subject to other people - made that mistake going to a chinese buffet a few weeks ago - total chaos - rice in the dessert trays, meat in the veggie dishes, hairs in the food...urghurgh! OS is the only food I trust 100% - if there are any non-food bits in there, at least they're mine :rofl: