The cafe owner has had complaints from customers saying that is is racist because of Union Jack and St George flags in their food.
A Hornchurch cafe has been accused of being racist by customers because of tiny toothpick Union Jack flags that are served with every plate of food.
The owner of Station 164, in Station Road said that since the World Cup the number of problems has risen, and that 3-4 people every week have complained about the one-inch flags that are put in toast, and sandwiches.
Candy Merrett, 30, has owned the London themed cafe for two years, and doesn’t understand why people have been complaining.
The mum of one said that she has no intention of removing the novelty flags.
“I don’t know why people are offended by this.
“If you went into an Italian restaurant and were given your food with a little Italian flag you wouldn’t complain.
“We’ve had people that are obviously foreign say to me ‘are you joking, why have you given me this’
“We give the flags out with every plate of food that goes out of the kitchen.
“It is just tradition, we are a London themed cafe, we have St George’s flags and Union Jacks, and the Royal wedding flag all in the cafe.
“I really don’t understand why people are offended by this.
“People throw the flags on the floor in disgust, and it just doesn’t make any sense to me.
“We have some tourists that love it. They take the flags home with them as a momento.”
She said that on social media some people had come to her support, while others said that it was racist and wanted the cafe to stop serving food with the flags.
Taking to Facebook the cafe posted: “Patriotic and proud not prejudice
“After two years of running our little café we have encountered our first disproval from a couple of customers.
“Any of our customers, past and present will know that we send all our food out with an England or Union Jack flag in it, this is not to insult or induce any feeling other than Great British pride.
“We are a little London café, we are British, English and Londoners. We will not feel ashamed to put little flags in our food.
“We will not be stopping. We are patriotic, not ‘pathetic’ as someone called us last week.
“We celebrate our country!”
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