People who like Costa’s breakfast menu will notice something different about the chain’s sausage bap the next time they order.
Although it costs the same, the roll now has three sausages instead of four, and fans online think of it as a 'cheap' change.
When X (formerly Twitter) user Paul Hayday questioned the change, the brand explained that it was to make the bap easier for customers to eat without making a mess.
A Costa social media representative responded: ‘We listened to our customers' feedback and to prevent the sausage from rolling away, we have kept the same recipe but increased the size to make three larger sausages which fit a lot better into the bap.’
However, Paul wasn’t satisfied with the response, and commented: ‘Are you sure it’s not a cheaper option? What was the size of the old sausage vs the new one?’
Shoppers have questioned whether the sausage bap, priced at £3.75, is the latest product to be affected by shrinkflation, when items get smaller and the pricing stays the same.
Consumer finance expert Martyn James said: ‘I’m not convinced by the “three bigger sausages” explanation here.
‘The issue with having a successful product is that people notice when you make changes to it. So, there was no way regular shoppers were going to fail to spot the mystery of the missing sausage.’
Costa Coffee then informed LADbible: ‘We modified our sausage bap recipe after receiving feedback from our store teams about operational challenges during the cooking process – the fourth sausage was falling out of the bap.
‘We’ve switched from 4 smaller sausages to 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, which is under 5g.’
This puts Costa’s offering on par with the Greggs sausage bap, which contains three bangers, and still beats Starbucks, where customers get two sausages (cut in half horizontally) in their roll.
However, this change comes alongside adjustments to Costa’s loyalty scheme, where it now takes 10 drinks – instead of the previous eight – to earn a free reward. Prices at Express machines have also increased to ‘reflect ongoing challenges faced by many retailers’.
Costa regular @rodders21085 said: ‘Most things they’ve changed are pretty bad… All to save cost but still upping prices.’
A spokesperson for the chain stated: ‘We understand that any change in pricing can be challenging for our customers and aim to provide the best experience and quality products for our customers on-the-go, while giving our Costa Club members great discounts and exclusive offers.’
Do you have a story to share?
