How Do You Protect Your Food from Being Stolen at work?

[Deactivated] on 17/11/2019 - 21:33
Last edited 18/11/2019 - 11:11

Someone stole my birthday cake and replaced it with a reduced for quick sale mudcake from woolies :(

Context: I've started a tradition where I bring a half 'n half cake to work to celebrate my birthday. This cake is usually made up of my wife's birthday cake and mine as we often have a joint birthday celebration. This year, it was an oreo cookies 'n cream cheesecake and a berry mousse genoise cake, which were imagined , designed and created by my kids, under the supervision of a family friend who is an executive pastry chef. So home-baked, one-of-a-kind, made-with-love-but-looks-completely-amazing cakes.

Left it in the fridge early in the morning. Came back at 2 p.m and the cake was gone.In it's place was a $2.50, stale mudcake from woolies with a note with my name written on it.

How do I prevent this from happening again?

Cheers,
JJB

Edit : The cake thief contacted me today with a heartfelt apology and offered to shout me lunch and/or drinks. All good :)

Education & Work

Comments

  • cynicalmike on 17/11/2019 - 21:38
    +78

    never leave cake unattended, anywhere. period.

    • cameldownunder on 18/11/2019 - 10:21
      +37

      Bake a cake with lot of laxative. Put it in the fridge, enjoy the run to the toilets.

      • backpaqer on 18/11/2019 - 11:17
        +10

        Put up out of order tape across all toilets.

        • Sensiekatie on 18/11/2019 - 13:07
          +9

          No … we took all the toilet paper out of the toilets.

          • payton on 19/11/2019 - 11:23

            @Sensiekatie: oh, so you're the reason why toilet paper in public buildings are dispensed out of locked containers =)

      • cynicalmike on 18/11/2019 - 11:24

        but what if no-one takes the bait and you have to eat it afterwards because it's a shame to waste a cake?

        • payton on 18/11/2019 - 11:27

          Order a more appetizing cake

          • ChatCPT on 18/11/2019 - 16:40
            +1

            @payton: eat a stale woolies mudcake

            • payton on 19/11/2019 - 11:21
              +1

              @ChatCPT: no true ozbargainer would do otherwise

      • WhoGiveAShxt on 18/11/2019 - 17:51
        +1

        you evil spirit is just sick

        I love it.

      • Slo20 on 18/11/2019 - 20:08
        +9

        Someone at work did this. Their jam kept getting stolen so they mixed laxatives all through it. The culprit took the bait and had some and never came back for more.

      • juki on 18/11/2019 - 23:22
        +2

        i did that in highschool its not as amusing as in the movies, I would accept the cake thief apologies only to get a confession and then make a formal complaint and name and shame him.

        I hardly get breaks and when a food thief strikes i think i'm hangry enough to murder them

      • [Deactivated] on 19/11/2019 - 14:05

        Wouldn't they just go home sick?

      • [Deactivated] on 19/11/2019 - 16:21

        Can you recommend one that won't be detected in taste?

      • jinny7 on 21/11/2019 - 07:51

        Whoaaa.

        Calm down satan

  • Cheapascents on 17/11/2019 - 21:43
    +37

    people are like that huh? straight up rude.

    • EightImmortals on 18/11/2019 - 10:10
      +16

      If by you 'rude' you mean 'dirty scumbag thieves' then yes, it appears some people are like that.

      • lonewolf on 18/11/2019 - 15:44

        And the funny thing is a lot of times its actually the people you dont suspect like higher paid / up the food chain people in the work place. Perhaps with the mindset that nothing will happen to me or i deserve it or i am above the general status quo or its just a somewhat common personality trait. I have seen this time and time again at my workplace.

  • ihbh on 17/11/2019 - 21:51
    +46

    Keep your cake at home and eat it there.

    • [Deactivated] on 17/11/2019 - 22:00

      I bring a cake so that my colleagues don't have to contribute to buy me one.

      • Seraphin7 on 18/11/2019 - 09:57
        +58

        No one at my work knows when my birthday is. Just how I like it. I'm at work to earn coin, not celebrate birthdays.

        • markathome on 18/11/2019 - 10:36
          +14

          Happy birthday Seraphin7!!!

        • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 18/11/2019 - 11:24
          +13

          We had a coworker like this. We all made it our absolute priority to investigate and discover their birthday then put streamers and balloons all over their desk on that day.

          Their frustration over our thoughtful celebratory nature was quite enjoyable.

          • anastasiastarz on 23/11/2019 - 03:46

            @Typical16-bitEnjoyer: We have a girl who asks for people star signs and then made a chart of who is compatible with who, r'ship and work wise…

        • Vote for Pedro on 18/11/2019 - 17:21
          +4

          Omg yes. 100%.

          It feels like it’s a celebration for one thing or another every second day.

          I reckon the company should do monthly or quarterly celebrations.

        • Indi24 on 19/11/2019 - 20:34
          +1

          excellent.

      • azngamer on 18/11/2019 - 12:32
        +1

        But why would you pass on a free cake? so confused right now

      • SlimyScamp on 19/11/2019 - 04:45

        My company allows flexible working, I barely go into the office anymore. Don’t need to deal with office politics and peoples shitty habits like the guy opposite my desk who clears his throat loudly every 5-10 seconds, 8 hours a day. Suggest you try doing the same if you can, it has made me enjoy my work again.

        • sagrules on 19/11/2019 - 12:58
          +1

          Agree, I could of written this comment. Except now I've moved teams and have to come in more often :(

    • pjetson on 17/11/2019 - 22:11
      +30

      You do realise that you can't have your cake and eat it too?

      • EightImmortals on 18/11/2019 - 10:10
        +3

        Not if you work where the OP works.

    • funnysht on 18/11/2019 - 09:57

      You can have your cake and eat t tooo

  • onetwothreefour on 17/11/2019 - 21:56
    +34

    Work with nicer people/at a better workplace.

    • [Deactivated] on 17/11/2019 - 21:58

      They are nice people. They shouted me to drinks after work.

      • onetwothreefour on 17/11/2019 - 22:00
        +42

        Hmmm nice people don't steal.

        It could just be one bad person, try speaking to colleagues to see if anything like this has happened to them.

        • capslock janitor on 19/11/2019 - 14:09
          +1

          This year, it was an oreo cookies 'n cream cheesecake and a berry mousse genoise cake, which were imagined , designed and created by my kids, under the supervision of a family friend who is an executive pastry chef. So home-baked, one-of-a-kind, made-with-love-but-looks-completely-amazing cakes.

          Edit : The cake thief contacted me today with a heartfelt apology and offered to shout me lunch and/or drinks. All good :)

          Sounds like a $200 custom cake to me, esp made by loved ones too… So better be a BIG SHOUT.
          I'd be furious mad.
          What was reason for taking?

        • Drdrain on 20/11/2019 - 15:07

          Best comment in the thread😂

      • onetwothreefour on 18/11/2019 - 10:06

        How many people do you work with who have access to the fridge?

      • SpendLess on 20/11/2019 - 09:52
        +1

        I heard the free drinks you got was actually someone elses beer that they swapped over for with water

    • kaleidoscope on 18/11/2019 - 21:46

      Unless this is an yearly incident, it could be a joke to piss you off

  • Sage on 17/11/2019 - 21:59
    +6

    Work somewhere else.
    Or put up signs and cause a fuss about the practise.
    Really though it shouldn't be happening in the first place.

    Edit: Hang on,

    Context: I've started a tradition where I bring a half 'n half cake to work to celebrate my birthday.

    Is the cake to celebrate with your coworkers, or just for yourself?
    Also, if this literally only once a year then is it worth making a thread about??

    • [Deactivated] on 17/11/2019 - 22:03
      +1

      Cake is to share with everyone. It's technically leftovers from my birthday party. I bring it so that my colleagues don't have to contribute to buy me one. Most people look forward to it.

      • happirt on 18/11/2019 - 09:37
        -1

         

      • ihbh on 18/11/2019 - 10:04
        +6

        Maybe you waited to long to share the cake and your colleagues shared it among themselves, and in addition, they bought you a cake for your bd as well. :)

    • [Deactivated] on 17/11/2019 - 22:11
      +16

      So the HR manager? She did look bloated that day and has been extra nice to me since the 'incident'.

      • redpump on 18/11/2019 - 09:43
        +2

        Sounds about right. HR like to think they are above the rest…

        Maybe keep it in a cake box and super sticky tape it up or duct tape it. At least the struggle to open your cake box in future will deter the evil person stealing your cake.

      • wtigers on 18/11/2019 - 21:14
        -2

        It was her she is being nice you will be asked about the next cake soon , all the fatties down voting my comment…I reckon bake 2 and put laxatives in one make em pay

  • Halo375 on 17/11/2019 - 22:01

    Don’t bring in things that need to be refrigerated.

  • hawkeye on 17/11/2019 - 22:01
    -2

    identify with your personal family affairs and work place.

  • CyberMurning on 17/11/2019 - 22:07
    +13

    Wait for Xiaomi cam deal here buy and install near fridge

    • cycleri3 on 18/11/2019 - 11:11
      +4

      What if they steal the camera?

      • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 18/11/2019 - 11:14
        +11

        Install a replacement first camera.

        Install a second camera to watch the first camera. If that fails - install more cameras.

        • try2bhelpful on 18/11/2019 - 12:24

          We have a “the old woman who swallowed a fly” situation here.

  • SBOB on 17/11/2019 - 22:09
    +8

    I would find the culprit and ensure everyone in the office knew the kind of crap they pulled

  • tsunamisurfer on 17/11/2019 - 22:09
    +62

    My previous work had only hilo milk in the fridge.

    So I bring my own Full Cream Milk 2L, and put it away from the communal milk.

    Yet it gets consumed again and again.

    So a female colleague suggested I label the bottle Breast Milk.

    I did, and it got drank twice as fast as before.

    • orangetrain on 18/11/2019 - 08:18
      +8

      Label it Chinese Milk Formula.

      • 87percent on 18/11/2019 - 08:26
        +1

        It’ll be gone before you even had the chance to buy it by “Asian syndicate”

      • WT on 18/11/2019 - 11:11
        +2

        label it sperm specimen

    • Seraphin7 on 18/11/2019 - 10:06
      +9

      I once got involved (God only knows how) in a bunfight at our office over the milk that was supplied. People weren't happy with what was being supplied because they wanted all these alternative products, claiming it was "unfair" that others effectively got their milk "for free" while they had to pay for theirs.

      I was effectively the financial controller for our department and when I proposed solving the issue of "fairness" by getting no milk for anyone so that everyone would have to pay for their own, they changed their tune pretty quickly.

      Office fridges are just a nightmare. Between Karen's hissy fits over who pays for what, the sh!tstorm when someone steals Billy's food, or just the cesspit that forms when Brenda doesn't bother to clean out the fish curry she put in there three weeks ago, I don't know why offices have communal fridges.

      • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 18/11/2019 - 11:13
        -1

        You do realise the opposite of what you did - buying staff like $4 worth of soy/almond or whatever milk would likely raise morale and the overall benefits and results would likely exceed that cost?

        • Seraphin7 on 18/11/2019 - 12:29
          +4

          Maybe, maybe not. Or just raise expectations on what will be supplied.

          The point is, people should be there to work, not squabble about whether or not the milk supplied meets their requirements.

          In a similar vein, at another workplace they had an "ask the CEO" page on their intranet. They kept all past questions and responses. One was someone demanding that the CEO take action over people coming in early and consuming all the milk with their cereal and there being none left my late-morning for their tea. They seriously wanted to make the milk for the exclusive use of tea/coffee drinkers and not for any other use. J*sus.

          • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 18/11/2019 - 12:48

            @Seraphin7: You do realise establishing or improving culture starts from the top and not the bottom, right?

            • Seraphin7 on 18/11/2019 - 12:54

              @Typical16-bitEnjoyer: Thanks for assuming I'm at the top of the pile … I'll let my boss's, boss's boss know. They may be able to get to someone who can let me start the cultural revolution required.

              • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 18/11/2019 - 12:59

                @Seraphin7: The "top" essentially have given you the power to solve the milk problem didn't they? The "top" have given you some element of control of finances. You still didn't solve the problem. So is placing you in charge of financials for your department, and failing to resolve the "milk issue", their failing or your failing?

                Apparently it's important enough that multiple people have approached you and posted in an "ask the CEO" page.

                Can't expect to change culture when you can't implement one small change, that multiple employees were requesting and would cost probably less than $10 a week ;)

          • 91rs on 18/11/2019 - 13:35
            +2

            @Seraphin7: "Or just raise expectations on what will be supplied"
            This.

            People are ungrateful jerks.
            The more they can get the more they will ask for. Then the entitlement begins when things change and bread, fruit, cereal and other free food items change.

      • try2bhelpful on 18/11/2019 - 12:27
        +1

        Agree with the fridge thing. One of the big ones is who is going to defrost and clean the fridge. You need a sodding roster for people to do the right thing.

        • Seraphin7 on 18/11/2019 - 12:30

          Part of the reason I don't go near the damned thing.

          • macfudd on 18/11/2019 - 19:54

            @Seraphin7: You get fridge cleaning/defrosting added to the contract with the cleaning company. Problem solved.

            Same with emptying out dishwashers etc. Leaving it to (presumably) highly skilled staff that should be using their time and energy on better things just doesn't make sense.

    • AlanHB on 18/11/2019 - 16:24

      You should have labelled it "male" breast milk.

    • giventofly on 19/11/2019 - 16:34
      +1

      Label it 'Cow Semen'

  • Ryanek on 17/11/2019 - 22:09
    +7

    Hey that Woolies mud cake is pretty good.

    • [Deactivated] on 17/11/2019 - 22:18
      +3

      Compared to what?

      • endotherm on 18/11/2019 - 01:13
        +23

        Compared to nothing.

        • capslock janitor on 19/11/2019 - 14:12

          They don't even put the White icing thing on top anymore. Coles MUD better

      • cyssero on 18/11/2019 - 11:22
        +6

        Compared to other soil based cakes.

        Actually, I rather enjoy them.

  • pegaxs on 17/11/2019 - 22:14
    +2

    Take it up with HR and get everyone sacked…

    Seriously though, you bought it in to work for them to enjoy, and they enjoyed it. Sounds more like a practical joke played on you.

    Don’t bring your precious cake to work if it means that much to you, that way, you can have your cake and eat it too…

    • [Deactivated] on 17/11/2019 - 22:18
      +7

      The issue is "they" did not enjoy it. Only 1 person did and the rest felt guilty by association and shouted me drinks. The whole point of bringing a cake for my birthday is so that my colleagues don't have to be guilt-tripped into contributing to buy me one, like we are for all the other birthdays.

      • stumo on 18/11/2019 - 10:55
        +7

        Wait… 1 person ate the entire cake?

      • try2bhelpful on 18/11/2019 - 12:30
        +3

        What the hell was their excuse?

      • cameldownunder on 18/11/2019 - 15:36

        So you brought in the left overs of your party cake, it got stolen, and everyone shouted you drinks. I'll try that on my birthday, seems a cheap way of getting drunk !

        • [Deactivated] on 18/11/2019 - 15:41
          +1

          So you brought in the left overs of your party cake, it got stolen, and everyone shouted you drinks.

          And an offer of free lunch and drinks from the person who ate the cake in a moment of weakness.

          Yep, been a pretty good birthday :)

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