11 March 2024 , 14:08
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Costa Coffee has come under fire from customers after reportedly cutting down the number of sausages in their popular breakfast roll - but the price is the same.
Across retail and hospitality, customers have been left furious after being charged the same amount of money for products that have been cut short of their regular amount, with more and more items falling victim to "shrinkflation". Regulars at high street giant Costa have been left furious after bosses removed a sausage from the £3.75 Pork Sausage Breakfast Bap while failing to reduce the price.
The original breakfast item included four sausages but now customers only get three. Last week one individual took to X (formerly Twitter) to ask Costa about the sandwich - and they are not alone in their frustration. They wrote: "Hello @CostaCoffee why does your sausage bap now only have 3 sausages rather than 4?"
Another said: "I'm sure you've cut down from four to three...price hasn't changed. Another added: "It does not cut up into quarters as well." But Costa confirmed they have good reason.
Amy, a spokesperson for Costa, responded to the tweet and explained that they have removed one of the sausages as the fourth one kept "rolling" out of the sandwich. She said: "We had listened to our customers' feedback and to stop the rolling away sausage. We have kept the same recipe but increased the size to make three larger sausages which fit a lot better into the bap."
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"Clearly room for four," one individual responded on X. Another said: "But you kept the price the same? Rip off."
Costa Coffee has also hiked prices across thousands of Express machines (Universal Images Group via Getty Images)Consumer expert and Mirror columnist Martyn James commented: "I'm just not buying the 'three bigger sausages' line here. The problem with having a successful product is people notice when you tinker with it. So there was no way regular shoppers were going to fail to spot the mystery of the missing sausage."
A Costa Coffee spokesperson told the Mirror: "We changed our sausage bap recipe following feedback from our store teams re: operational challenges during the cooking process - the fourth sausage was falling out the bap. We’ve moved from 4 smaller sausages, replacing it with 3 bigger sausages to fit the bap neatly for a more even cook and enjoyable experience. This has resulted in a small change in the weight of the overall bap, under 5g."
It comes after Costa increased the cost of drinks made through its Express counters recently. The price has increased by 5p - just 18 months after a previous price hike. DIY drinks are now almost £4 a pop.
Costa Coffee defended the move saying that the increased prices "reflect ongoing challenges faced by many retailers". The spokesperson added: "We understand that any change in pricing can be challenging for our customers and strive to provide the best experience and quality products for our customers on-the-go, whilst rewarding our Costa Club members with amazing discounts and exclusive offers."
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