Food Shop Substitutions Are Here To Ruin Christmas: 'My Family Have To Munch On A Bath Mat'

When you order a tin of Quality Street and get a bath mat 😱

The best part of British culture is fighting Tesco over the awful substitution shopping order list for unavailable items

— Efik Papi (@kufre_medo) December 23, 2018

At any time of year, online food shop substitutions are the bane of the British public’s existence. But when you’ve ordered a huge food shop which is set to arrive right before Christmas, the last thing you want is for essential items – ya know, like sprouts – to be missing. Anxiety levels are going through the roof.

If the item is missing and you’ve got substitutions turned on, you’ll likely get a similar replacement that should tide you over. But it seems the food delivery people are either drunk or just up for some fun this year, because the substitutions are really tenuous.

Take for example this poor soul who received HP Sauce instead of cranberry sauce. Ah yes, we heard it goes well with gravy.

I've just seen my substitution list for my shopping delivery.

ARE YOU DRUNK!!!???

ordered cranberry sauce substituted with HP sauce.

HP sauce people, the perfect accompaniment for turkey.

— Fancy Nancy (@ClareMBrown1) December 22, 2018

Rhodri (of #DuvetKnowItsChristmas fame) ordered some nutmeg to add a touch of festive flavouring to his dishes but instead received that very traditional seasonal spice: turmeric.

In food delivery substitution news, Sainsbury’s has swapped out a nutmeg for a load of ground turmeric. Merry Xmas!

— Rhodri Marsden (@rhodri) December 23, 2018

Another person wanted vegan paté and received pheasant paté which, for the record, certainly isn’t vegan.

@asda @AsdaServiceTeam I know substitutions are normal. But aren’t they supposed be like for like? I’m pretty sure PHEASANT isn’t vegan.... pic.twitter.com/p5gpNloQL7

— becky guillemin (@Bexon27) December 17, 2018

We’re glad this person didn’t use their substituted item in their apple crumble.

I managed to have apples substituted with apple scented bleach. That’ll make a memorable crumble...

— Daniel Sparrow (@danieljsparrow) December 22, 2018

When you want calamari and get... onion rings. Well we guess they’re both ring-shaped?

Gutted. Ordered calamari, got offered a substitute of onion rings. 😐

After almost 15 years of internet food shopping think I will, for the first ever time, refuse that substitution. 😢 pic.twitter.com/wU5GXD4igQ

— 🌻Hannah🌻 (@Hanne_o_Saurus) December 19, 2018

Ah yes, potatoes and crumpets, that perfect Christmas Day breakfast choice.

.@Ocado got my Xmas Delivery coming tonight. My Christmas Day breakfast is supposed to be my traditional Egg's Benedict and Non-alcoholic Bellini's... not with these substitutions it won't be! Thanks Ocado, now I have to huff off shopping at 36w+4d pregnant for EKPeaches! 😫 pic.twitter.com/pG2bj1mALF

— MrsLAG (@Bogwoppit22) December 20, 2018

There’s also the issue of substitutions being generally smaller in size, which isn’t ideal when you’ve got the whole family coming over to feast on a... teeny tiny turkey crown.

@asda #christmasiscancelled this is meant to feed a family of 7 for Christmas?! Meant to be a 2kg turkey crown, a whole a ham and Yorkshires for7?! Substitutions are rubbish! 😔 pic.twitter.com/5criaD5QAQ

— Joanne finnamore (@Joannefinnamor1) December 22, 2018

Oh, and then there’s the rather large issue of allergies. So yeah, substituting that gluten-free Yule Log for an iced Christmas cake just isn’t going to work out.

Order ref: CO-559402
From the order we received the top 2 correctly. We had an email last week advising item 3 was unavailable. We were not informed of the Christmas pudding substitution and we were given an iced Christmas cake (refused) instead of the 2 GF Yule logs pic.twitter.com/i4D42hxJbp

— Lynn Butler-Ellis (@ellesea13) December 23, 2018

Another person claimed they had 21 substitutions which is basically the whole online food shop.

Our daughter has just rang up going mad, Asda have messaged her about her food order for this afternoons buffet, she’s got 21 substitutions, which leaves her nothing to make what she wanted so she is having to go shopping now anyway😱

— Martin Davies (@davies581) December 23, 2018

As for Daniel, well he lost out completely. A tin of Quality Street swapped for a bath mat? That’s just cruel.

Lucky you. My family have to munch on a bath mat! 😧 pic.twitter.com/MF7Uco8rq5

— Daniel Leadbitter (@friday_the_12th) December 22, 2018
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