It started with a simple tweet.
Last weekend one Tesco shopper, Matthew Stock, took to Twitter to ask the grocery giant about an incomprehensible “best before” date on a packet of burger relish he had just purchased.
The expiry date read, “20140”.
@Tesco hello there Tesco, could you please explain this expiry date please 🤔🤔🤔 pic.twitter.com/2CtcBsmH0W
— Matthew Stock (@mattyjstock) June 23, 2019
What followed was a hilarious – yet very British and very polite – chain of tweets.
Soon after Stock posted his query and image, Tesco replied, with a member of its customer service team conceding bafflement:
If I’m honest Matthew, I have no idea. 2nd of January 2040? Can you send me the products barcode number? I’ll have a chat with my support team about this and find out for you. Thanks – Sharon
— Tesco (@Tesco) June 23, 2019
Stock obliged:
There you go sharon. Thanks 👍 pic.twitter.com/YuWFZAQwBj
— Matthew Stock (@mattyjstock) June 23, 2019
This was followed by a quick clarification:
Yup they was like a set you get 2 burgers 2 buns 2 cheeses slices and a sachet of the relish .
— Matthew Stock (@mattyjstock) June 23, 2019
At which point another customer service team member jumped on with this dry response:
Hi Matthew, I have had a response from my support team. They have advised the date code on the relish only is the Julian date. 20140 is the 140th day. This translated into the Gregorian calendar is the 20th May 2020. Thanks – Maggie
— Tesco (@Tesco) June 25, 2019
Mayhem ensued:
Hi Matthew, I fully agree with you. If I had received this myself I wouldn’t have known what this meant. What I can do is pass this through to my support team to ask why they date it this way. Ill come back to you asap. Thanks – Maggie
— Tesco (@Tesco) June 25, 2019
Twitter lapped it up, naturally, with some praising Maggie for her seemingly blase.
https://twitter.com/PaulyKendrick/status/1143512441080438784
https://twitter.com/ted_pen/status/1143466162661056515
https://twitter.com/CheltOllie92/status/1143472692072452097
This conversation is so polite, I love it
— Kirbie Barbiecore Johnson (@kirbiejohnson) June 26, 2019
Q: How long do we have to use the burger relish?
Me: pic.twitter.com/UaCXFGkyXs
— Steve Dresser (@dresserman) June 25, 2019
https://twitter.com/saucissonsec/status/1143474929058373632
https://twitter.com/PAldousMusic/status/1143501849212915712
— Snow Enjoyer (@AlwoodNoBrains) June 25, 2019
This thread pic.twitter.com/ldZLsJboQg
— Oh hi it's Amy (@MamyKabamy) June 25, 2019
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