Bakery Owner Turns 'Sprinklegate' Fiasco into Hilarious Publicity Move
| LAST UPDATE 10/19/2021
Rich Myers, the owner of a UK-based bakery came under fire for what was dubbed as 'Sprinklegate.' Myers was flustered by the whole ordeal, adding, "I’ve genuinely lost sleep over this." The comment came days after an anonymous customer ratted on the shop, known as Get Baked, for putting "Illegal US Sprinkles" on some of its bestselling products. Here's what we know about the hilarious ordeal.
After a visit from the Trading Standards, a British agency that handles customer complaints related to business practices, Myers was forced to temporarily close his business and go on a 'sprinkle strike'. But not before he milked the publicity for every drop it was worth by flooding the shop's social media platforms with hysterical sprinkle-related content. See for yourself.
The regulation referred to E127: an illegal ingredient contained in US sprinkles. The whole situation created an interesting scenario for the business, as it found itself headlining extremely bizarre but highly marketable news pieces. Some question why Myers didn't just replace the illegal U.S. sprinkles with legal U.K. alternatives. But the owner refused, comically responding, "British sprinkles just aren’t the same, they’re totally s**t and I hate them." He definitely made it very clear how passionate he was about the quality of his sprinkles and his inability to compromise with anything less. As a result, the shop was forced to immediately stop sales of its two bestselling items, the Raspberry Glazed Donut and Birthday Bruce 24-layer cake. For a small independent business, this posed a potentially big problem.
The change was "very f**ing annoying," Myers shared, as he struggled to let go during the transition without sprinkles. But the owner was also quick to admit that the situation was "the best thing that's ever happened to Get Baked." From major marketing publicity to dream-come-true opportunities, Myers realized his newfound fame. It also certainly helped how savvy the owner was with his comedic antics by the strange legal fiasco flipped on its head thanks to his witty sense of humor.
In any case, we're hooked on learning the details as this story develops, so check back in with us soon for more on 'Sprinklegate'!