Backlash after woman tells waitress not to use term 'normal milk' - calling it offensive to vegans

18 November 2022, 10:45 | Updated: 18 November 2022, 11:21

Milk could be 'derogatory' to vegans, a woman said
Milk could be 'derogatory' to vegans, a woman said. Picture: Alamy

By Kit Heren

A woman has sparked a backlash after telling a waitress not to describe cow's milk as "normal milk" because it implies that alternative kinds of milk like almond and oat are "abnormal".

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In an online post, a cafe customer said he overheard a couple at a nearby table ordered croissants, a cappuccino and a latte.

The waitress repeated their order, checking that they wanted 'normal' milk with the cappuccino and soy milk with the latte.

But the woman asked her: "Please can you refrain from using the word normal in a derogatory way like that, using that phrase that suggests there is something abnormal about the alternative choices."

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The waitress reportedly did not know how to respond, and the customer then asked to speak to the manager.

The waitress eventually apologised and fetched her boss, who took the croissants off the bill.

The Redditor asked her fellow users if they thought talking about 'normal' milk was fine - and the answer was almost unanimously positive.

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One user said: "The only reason I would apologise is if they are regulars so I could (normal) milk them for cash.

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Another person added: "The worst part of this is the manager took her side when he let the woman have the croissants for free. I would’ve told them to grow up or go for coffee somewhere else. Service staff should not have to deal with this".

Another user said: "In my experience, a manager will side with the customer to make everyone's life easier at the time. As soon as manager and server are alone this person will get ripped and the manager will laugh about how stupid the whole situation was.

A fifth added: "Cows milk is the most widely consumed type in the UK (and probably most of the world), therefore calling it "normal milk" because it conforms to a statistical norm is perfectly acceptable. What you encountered was a professional victim/grifter."

LBC has asked the Reddit poster where the cafe was, so they can be contacted for comment.