Northern baker’s impassioned rant goes viral after his ‘illegal sprinkles’ are banned by council

A Northern baker has captured the hearts of the nation with his epic rants after his American-made sprinkles were reported to Trading Standards.

Rich Myer, who owns and runs Get Baked in Headingley, Leeds, took to Facebook to share that an anonymous customer had reported his business to Trading Standards regarding his use of ‘illegal sprinkles’.

The incriminating sprinkles, which are made in the US but bought in the UK, are used on the best-selling Raspberry Glazed Cookies and the ‘Birthday Bruces’ – special sprinkle-adorned slices of the bakery’s iconic Bruce chocolate cake, named aptly after the mammoth cake eaten by Bruce Bogtrotter in Matilda.

While these baked goods are beloved by most customers, one person (or killjoy, to some) decided to do their research into where the ingredients are sourced and, when seeing that the sprinkles are technically illegal in the UK, decided to report the bakery to the local authorities.

@getbakeduk / Instagram

Rich took to the Get Baked Facebook page to inform his customers of the news at the start of the month, writing that despite having an ‘utterly sensational’ weekend and selling ‘f**k tonnes of Bruce in various forms’, he had indeed had a ‘lovely visit from Trading Standards after someone reported us for using what are apparently illegal sprinkles’.

For those of you who aren’t sprinkle experts; what makes the sprinkles Rich had been using ‘illegal’ is the additive E127 which is allowed in the USA but only in certain products such as cocktail cherries and candied cherries here in the UK.

Trading Standards tested the sprinkles Get Baked had been using and confirmed they contained the incriminating E127.

A week later on October 11th, Rich provided his followers with an update on what he was now calling ‘Sprinklegate’, saying it wasn’t good news. 

@getbakeduk / Instagram

He wrote: “We have heard back from Trading Standards, and have been told that we must cease use of our sprinkles with immediate effect. Obviously, we will be following the rules, and removing them as of now.

“Whilst this might seem like it’s not a big deal, it’s actually very f***ing annoying, as A LOT of people ask for Birthday Bruce’s and Raspberry Glazed Donut Cookies are not only our best selling cookie, but they’re utterly sensational.”

Noting how he is ‘extremely passionate about sprinkles’, Rich went on to explain that he and the Get Baked team will need to make some adjustments to the menu ‘in order to compensate for this truly horrendous ordeal’, pointing out that British sprinkles ‘just aren’t the same’ before adding: “they’re totally sh*t and I hate them.”

He also said that his daughter won’t be able to go to Disneyland now that her dad can’t sell any ‘f***ing cookies’. 

West Yorkshire Trading Standards confirmed in a statement that it had visited Get Baked, saying: “West Yorkshire Trading Standards can confirm that we have advised the business concerned the use of E127 which is not permitted in this type of confectionery item.

“We stand by this advice and would urge all food business operators, when seeking to use imported foods containing additives, to check that they are permitted for use in the UK.”

But it isn’t all bad news for the team over at Get Baked; since the #SprinkleGate scandal went viral, the bakery has been ‘bombarded’ by the press, something that Rich has described as ‘f***ing amazing and sensational coverage for us.’

The bakery is also running a Bruce competition, where Rich will hand-deliver a Bruce in a Tux (a Bruce chocolate cake covered in white icing) to one lucky winner anywhere in the UK. To enter the competition – or to simply enjoy some quality baking-themed content – follow the Get Baked Facebook page.