Sandwich shop introduces £1 ‘seagull insurance’ for customers after greedy dive bombers steal ’30 toasties a day’ from hungry seaside tourists

A sandwich shop is offering customers optional £1 ‘seagull insurance’ with orders, after the ‘super aggressive and scary’ birds steal up to 30 toasties a day.

The owners of the Cheesy Toast Shack in St. Andrews, Scotland, used to free replacement of the £6.75 sandwiches to dozens of customers per day.

Customers bought a snack, took a picture of it outside and posted it on social media, only to return to the store seconds later to find their sandwich had been grabbed by a seagull.

But it was costing the company hundreds of pounds a day and bosses were desperate for a solution.

Due to rising costs and the increasing frequency of seagull attacks, the family-run business offers an optional £1 ‘seagull insurance’ to cover replacement sandwiches.

Tourist Erica Campbell is attacked by seagulls while eating her cheese sandwich

Kate Carter-Larg from the Cheesy Toasty Shack in St Andrews, Fife. She said the seagulls were ‘actually terrifying’

Kate Carter-Larg, 35, said: ‘The seagulls are super aggressive and actually terrifying.

‘We are a family business and I can’t just stand by and watch a sandwich get stolen and not replace it, so I always give one away for free.

“But it is a real problem and it costs us a lot of money. People even bleed when the seagulls come for the food!”

“We get emails from old women saying, ‘I nearly twisted my ankle with the seagulls,’ and children are crying about it too.

‘People come and take pictures of our sandwiches. And as soon as they hold up their toasted sandwich, seagulls immediately appear.’

A seagull grabs a paper bag full of food. According to the owners of the Cheesy Toasty Shack, the problem is getting worse

The £1 insurance should enable the family business to replace the stolen food

“People who go home bleeding are a real problem.”

Mrs Carter-Larg’s husband, Sam, 39, came up with the idea of ​​the optional payment so the company could pay for replacements.

But the owners said they are now ‘seriously considering’ taking out gull insurance with every purchase to cover losses caused by the winged pests.

Mrs Carter-Larg added: ‘Our business is a real family business. Sam and I run it, our children are there most days, Sam’s cousin works in the kitchen and everyone knows each other.

“It’s not just some faceless company and we want people to remember the kind gestures people make.”

The sandwiches cost £6.75 and Mrs Carter-Larg says she feels a responsibility to ensure people get what they buy, especially during financially difficult times.

She added: ‘When someone comes to us for dinner, treats themselves and their family for a week or even a month, it’s a big event.

‘In the summer, people sometimes wait in line for an hour, because it is a really busy store then.

The owners said they are now ‘seriously considering’ taking out gull insurance with every purchase to cover losses caused by the winged pests.

Sam Larg and Kate Carter-Larg from the Cheesy Toasty Shack in St Andrews, Fife. Sam came up with the idea of ​​insurance

“So I can’t just sit by and watch it get stolen. That’s a terrible thing, especially when it’s a child.”

Mrs Carter-Larg admits the seagull attacks have become ‘increasingly’ worse over the past three years.

They received emails from angry customers and children burst into tears.

Kate and Sam made several attempts to scare off the seagulls.

They tried playing bird of prey sounds and also bought a bird of prey kite on Amazon.

A seagull is depicted diving behind a man eating on the beach

The Cheesy Toast Shack was originally founded in 2015 as a street food trailer that traveled to festivals across the country

The couple say they have exhausted almost all options, “except shooting them.”

Mrs Carter-Larg said: ‘The bird sounds weren’t the atmosphere we wanted on the beach and the bird kite we bought didn’t do anything – people sat under it and the gulls kept attacking. We don’t know what else we could have done.’

The Cheesy Toast Shack was founded in 2015 as a street food trailer that traveled to festivals across the country.

Their St Andrews Kiosk was installed in 2018, the same year Sam and Kate had their children.

Besides their famous toasted sandwiches, they also sell ice cream, coffee, milkshakes, cakes and merchandise.