Toad in a hole may be a popular breakfast dish, but a live toad in a bag of salad is a less-than-desirable grocery item … shoppers in the UK learned the hard way.
Graham Martin, who works for Berkshire Reptile Rescue, was called in to consult on an odd case plaguing a Waitrose distribution center in Bracknell, England. As Martin told BBC … he was tapped to collect a live toad from the business after it had been discovered inside a bag of salad.
Apparently, the surprise addition to the pre-packaged greens was first detected by a customer, who had purchased the item. It was reportedly returned after the live amphibian was spotted inside the bag.
The toad — whose origins remain unknown — is currently in Martin’s custody … who assured others that the creature was being well taken care of.
He added … “He is in a nice little box, he’s got some soil and some leaves to hide in, he’s got a little water bowl. I’ve chucked in some beetles for his dinner and he’s loving life.”
Martin explained the toad was being kept isolated as “interaction with foreign animals is never a good idea.”
A spokesperson for John Lewis Partnership, the company that owns Waitrose, made it clear this should never have happened … given the fact there’s “a stringent sorting and washing process which should have removed this toad.”
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The company also apologized to the customer who found the toad in their salad bag.
While JLP tried to downplay the situation as a “very rare occurrence,” Martin said he’s already had “3 or 4” calls this year about rogue critters finding themselves where they shouldn’t be.
FWIW, we’d be straight-up croaking if we found a live toad in our food!!!
