A sandwich shop is offering customers optional £1 “seagull insurance” on orders because the “super aggressive and scary” birds steal up to 30 toasted sandwiches a day.
The owners of Cheesy Toast Shack in St. Andrews, Scotland, used to give away free replacements of £6.75 sandwiches to dozens of customers every day.
Customers would buy a snack, take a photo outside to post on social media, then return to the store seconds later when a seagull had taken a bite out of their toast.
But this was costing the business hundreds of pounds a day and bosses were “desperate” for a solution.
Due to rising costs and the increased frequency of seagull attacks, the family-run business is adding an optional £1 ‘seagull insurance’ to pay for replacement sandwiches.
Tourist Erica Campbell is attacked by seagulls while eating her cheese toast
Kate Carter-Larg, of the Cheesy Toasty Shack in St Andrews, Fife, said the seagulls were “really scary”.
Kate Carter-Larg, 35, said: ‘Seagulls are super aggressive and really scary.
‘We are a family business and I can’t sit back and watch my sandwich get stolen and not replace it, so I will always give another one for free.
“But it is a real problem and it has cost us a lot of money: there are people who are even left bleeding after the seagulls swoop down in search of food!
‘We get emails from older women saying, “I nearly twisted my ankle because of the seagulls,” and we also get children crying about it.
‘People come to take pictures of our sandwiches and the moment they lift a piece of toast for a photo, all the seagulls swoop down on them.
A seagull grabs a paper bag full of food. According to the owners of Cheesy Toasty Shack, the problem is getting worse.
The £1 insurance will enable the family business to replace stolen food.
“People were left bleeding. They really are a problem.”
Ms Carter-Larg’s husband Sam, 39, came up with the optional payment so the company could afford to replace the parts.
But the owners said they are now “seriously considering” adding seagull insurance to every purchase to try to cover losses caused by the winged pests.
Ms Carter-Larg added: ‘Our business is super family-friendly, Sam and I run it, our kids are here most days, Sam’s cousin works in the kitchen and everyone knows each other.
‘It’s not just a faceless business and we want people to remember the good things people do.’
The sandwiches cost £6.75 and Ms Carter-Larg said she feels responsible for ensuring people get what they buy, especially during tough financial times.
He added: ‘If someone comes to eat with us, to treat themselves and their family for the week or even the month, it is a very important thing.
‘In summer, people sometimes have to wait up to an hour because it is a very busy store.
The owners said they are now “seriously considering” adding seagull insurance to every purchase to try to cover losses caused by the winged pests.
Sam Larg and Kate Carter-Larg, of the Cheesy Toasty Shack in St Andrews, Fife. Sam came up with the idea for the insurance
“So I can’t just sit back and watch it get stolen. It’s a horrible thing, especially if it’s a child.”
Ms Carter-Larg admits seagull attacks have been “increasingly” worse over the past three years.
They’ve received emails from upset customers and the kids have been crying.
Kate and Sam have made several attempts to deter the seagulls.
They tried to reproduce bird of prey noises and also bought a bird of prey kite on Amazon.
A seagull is seen flying behind a man who is eating his food on the beach.
The Cheesy Toast Shack was originally created in 2015 as a street food trailer that travelled to festivals around the country.
The couple say they have exhausted almost every option, “other than shooting them.”
Ms Carter-Larg said: ‘The bird noises were not the ideal environment we wanted on the beach, and the bird kite we bought did nothing – people sat under them and the seagulls kept attacking – we were at a loss and didn’t know what else to do.’
The Cheesy Toast Shack was originally created in 2015 as a street food trailer that toured festivals around the country.
Their St Andrews bandstand was installed in 2018, the same year Sam and Kate had their children.
In addition to their famous toasts, they also sell ice cream, coffee, milkshakes, cakes and merchandising.
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