When is a hot pasty not a hot pasty!

[Losos]

If any of you pop into Greggs for a hot pasty at lunchtime the sales assistant might ask you if you want it with VAT or without :roll:

Allegedly the point at which VAT is applied is calculated by the differential in the ambient temperature and that of the hot pasty (Although it is not clear if that is the surface temperature of said pasty or the inside temperature :? )

So if you order a hot pasty but it sits on the counter (While you select a drink and a few other goodies) it may have cooled down enough to be almost equal to the shop ambient temperature, and therefore not VATable.

You couldn't make it up, VAT inspectors will now be issued with thermometers and the poor old Greggs shop managers will have to ring the Meteorological office each morning to check what the ambient temperature will be :wink:

The more inventive folks have already suggested pumping the hot air from the ovens through vents to the door of the shop, personally I think Greggs will start selling their pasties frozen and provide a microwave at the end of the counter :lol:

Any of you got any ideas how Greggs can keep their reputation for nice, low cost food, in tact :?:

 

[hiho9]

makes no difference here as there always cold

 

[No skills]

I must be very tired, is what I have just read real or a joke and I'm not getting the punchline?

:?

 

[llangatwgnedd]

It is becoming a crazy place we are living in.

Next thing, they be taxing the pennies on your eyes.

H,mm, might write a song about that.

 

[nev]

Just whack the shop heating up to full and break the knob off. :mrgreen:
The pastie even at ambient temp should be warm enough and as an added bonus all the lovely ladies that work in greggs can wear bikinis to remain comfortable
second thoughts, thinking of the ladies in my local greggs, maybe not.....

 

[Racers]

Not a problem for me I don't eat the pastys or the sausage rolls from Gregs, to much fat.

Pete

 

[Benchwayze]

It is becoming a crazy place we are living in.

Next thing, they be taxing the pennies on your eyes.

H,mm, might write a song about that.

llangatwgnedd,

You know what they say. From Cradle to Grave. Well they just didn't mean looking after us!
In fact when we die is when they take everything back. 8)

So the answer is not to leave anything for them to take. Spend it all on woodwork tools.
Hope that gives you a few ideas! (Send me the chords when you have done it!)

Best of Luck :lol:

 

[Cheshirechappie]

VAT on food has been a mess since the '80s. VAT was applied to hot food, but not cold food. The idea was that basic staples are VAT-free, but fancy restaurant meals are VAT-able. There was great debate at the time about fish'n'chips, or what happened if you ordered a salad in a restaurant.

The current fuss is just a media storm.

By the way - on Cameron's lies; which are worse, Cameron telling fibs about eating pasties, or Brown telling lies about the entire economy? (That's just a rhetorical question. All politicians, with one or two exceptions, are somewhat less than entirely honourable.)

 

[SteveB43]

..tis on the little things that governments and nations fall!!

Im not sure if someone said that, I'm sure they probably did....
Pastygate and fule's will just add fuel to the fire...

Even if you dont like the current lot, my point is now is really not the time to change your government in the mess Europe is currently in...., Let's just hope the elected ones understand that and start displaying some common sense... :?

 

[nanscombe]

When it's baked and allowed to cool down naturally. (0% VAT)

It's a hot pasty when it's kept hot by sticking it in a heated cabinet. (20% VAT)

Simples.

 

[Benchwayze]

..tis on the little things that governments and nations fall!!

Im not sure if someone said that, I'm sure they probably did....
Pastygate and fule's will just add fuel to the fire...

Even if you dont like the current lot, my point is now is really not the time to change your government in the mess Europe is currently in...., Let's just hope the elected ones understand that and start displaying some common sense... :?

Couldn't agree more Steve.
Sad truth is, there will be another election. Anything this current administration might achieve before then will just be wasted, because inside six months after that, we will be back where we were before the last election. (Unless by some miracle, the Coalition hang on. In which case they might; just might, make a difference. But I won't hold my breath. (AIH, I see another hung parliament, even though Labour might think they will have a landslide victory! )

 

[gardenshed]

If any of you pop into Greggs for a hot pasty at lunchtime the sales assistant might ask you if you want it with VAT or without :roll:

Allegedly the point at which VAT is applied is calculated by the differential in the ambient temperature and that of the hot pasty (Although it is not clear if that is the surface temperature of said pasty or the inside temperature :? )

So if you order a hot pasty but it sits on the counter (While you select a drink and a few other goodies) it may have cooled down enough to be almost equal to the shop ambient temperature, and therefore not VATable.

You couldn't make it up, VAT inspectors will now be issued with thermometers and the poor old Greggs shop managers will have to ring the Meteorological office each morning to check what the ambient temperature will be :wink:

The more inventive folks have already suggested pumping the hot air from the ovens through vents to the door of the shop, personally I think Greggs will start selling their pasties frozen and provide a microwave at the end of the counter :lol:

Any of you got any ideas how Greggs can keep their reputation for nice, low cost food, in tact :?:

Don't see the issue really, as mentioned in prev posts the vat issue on takeaway hot food was a mess, and needed sorting.

Small hot food takeaway shops had to charge vat, big chains got on the bandwagon but didn't have to pay vat on hot takeaway food, now they have to...........simples

 

[marcros]

Don't see the issue really, as mentioned in prev posts the vat issue on takeaway hot food was a mess, and needed sorting.

Small hot food takeaway shops had to charge vat, big chains got on the bandwagon but didn't have to pay vat on hot takeaway food, now they have to...........simples

Except of course that all of these small hot food takeaways declare turnover as just below the threshold for VAT registration.

It was a mess though, I am surprised it has taken so long to iron that loophole out.

 

[theartfulbodger]

Food is safely stored when it's either cold <5C (slows the rate of bacteria growth) or hot >65c (kills some bacteria)

Storing food at ambient temperature for any length of time is a bad idea, and is confusing advice for the Gummint to be issuing.

What next? Calls for a minister to resign after getting the blame for something bad that happened to someone who did something wrong?

 

[Benchwayze]

Hot or cold, Pasties make you fat. I don't eat them any more.

(Mind you in my time, I visited the van outside Devonport Dockyard gate often enough. That's where you got your 'Tiddie-Oggie'. (A Cornish Pastie cut open, and garnished with a jumbo sausage covered in 'Ketchup'!) Yummm-Nummmnnn!

 

[Losos]

I must be very tired, is what I have just read real or a joke and I'm not getting the punchline?
:?

No not a joke, other than just trying to take the mickey out of the VAT man, him and the tax man are always in my sights when there a ludicrous situation as applies now with hot and cold food.

Also, intention was not to turn this into a political debate 'tho I concede it's tempting, the curent government are looking to get as much revenue in as possible, putting VAT on pasties and sausage rolls is just one way to achieve that.

IMHO it would have been far better to have run the country on good economic principles for the previous 20 years but of course that's a subject for another thread :lol:

 

[No skills]

No not a joke

Oh FFS #-o Tax/Vat on what next I wonder? having children? breathing?

IMHO it would have been far better to have run the country on good economic principles for the previous 20 years but of course that's a subject for another thread :lol:

Amen

 

[nanscombe]

I thought that children were alreading taxing?

 

[bugbear]

I wonder how loud the noise from our glorious leaders would have been if "Brussels" had bought in this law.

BugBear

 

[Dibs-h]

Gov't ministers are exempt from most benefits in kind (P11D ones) - so it's hardly likely they'd give a 5hit for the masses? Except to ensure the masses fill the coffers, so Piggy & his\her friends continue scofffing!