Bakery owner defends selling ‘non-binary gingerbread people’ after backlash from viral picture

A bakery boss has been forced to defend himself following backlash for selling ‘non-binary gingerbread people’.

Social media erupted this week after people noticed that a Lancashire bakery was selling genderless ginger biscuits – traditionally known as gingerbread men. 

The Cottage Bakery, based in Blackpool, was blasted online as some claimed it was promoting a ‘woke agenda’.

One user said: ‘Absolute madness. Won’t even be able call it gingerbread soon in case it offends gingers.’ 

The Cottage Bakery boss, Paul Cook, said: ‘It wasn’t done to be politically correct and some people have thankfully taken it as a joke’

Another added: ‘What is worse: A gingerbread that doesn’t have a gender or people getting angry about a gingerbread that doesn’t have a gender? Who cares?’ 

Despite the trolling, bemused boss Paul Cook was more shocked that it had taken people so long to notice the biscuits.

He said: ‘I thought that’d be funny and that’s how it came about, but it’s taken three years for someone to make a big deal of it. 

‘We began putting labels on them before Covid, but we had people coming in and saying it was wrong and they were not men.

‘So I had a chat with my printer about and he said, ‘Why don’t you call them non-binary?’ 

The bakery has been selling gingerbread biscuits for 20 years, but began labelling their products when ‘Natasha’s Law’ was laid in Parliament during 2019. 

The law, which came into effect in October 2021, requires all businesses to provide full ingredient and allergen labelling on foods which are pre-packed for direct sale. 

It followed the tragic death of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, a teenager who died after suffering an allergic reaction to a Pret a Manger baguette.

Although the bakery has been selling gingerbread biscuits for 20 years, it started labelling their products when ‘Natasha’s Law’ was laid in Parliament three years ago

Paul also told LADBible that adding ‘non-binary’ to the labels was not ‘meant to upset or be offensive to anyone’.

He continued: ‘The label is on the back so they can’t see it when it’s on the counter, and most people ask for a gingerbread man.

‘It wasn’t until the labels were on show that people started making silly comments.

‘It was done as a bit of a laugh because of people’s comments in the first place.

‘It wasn’t done to be politically correct and some people have thankfully taken it as a joke.’

One user said: ‘Absolute madness. Won’t even be able call it gingerbread soon in case it offends gingers’