’17 million Brits’ have stolen tableware from a bar or restaurant

New research has revealed that an estimated 17 million people in Britain have stolen tableware - glasses, cups, napkins, cutlery, condiments - in their homes. Catering equipment supplier Nisbets uncovered the results following a survey in which 1,000 respondents were asked about their attitudes towards stealing such items from bars and restaurants. Based on the responses, it was calculated that in the homes of three million people every single item of crockery, glassware, cutlery and soft tableware (napkins and tablecloths) was likely to be stolen. A further 36% said they ha dat least one or two stolen cups/glasses while 9.6% have one or two pieces of stolen cutlery. 18-24-year-olds are the biggest offenders with 34% admitting to having stolen from a restaurant or bar and 26% have at least one or two stolen items in their home. The 25-35-year olds are not far behind at 31% and 45-54s at 28%. Those aged 54 and over are the most likely to steal condiments with 30% often swiping sachets and bottles. When it comes to the frequency of how often people steal, the company estimated that four million did so more than once a week. Sheffield is the worst when it comes to how often people steal with 17% admitting to pocketing something more than once a week. Some 90% of people in Bristol said they had never stolen tableware. In contrast, every single person surveyed in Belfast admitted they have at least one or two stolen cups/glasses in their home, along with 89% of Leeds and 80% of Edinburgh. Biggest tableware thieves by city: Cardiff – 36% Southampton - 35% London - 33% Liverpool - 32% Newcastle - 27% It’s not only stolen tableware that costs businesses money, broken plates and glasses accounts for around £2,000 in lost revenue per business per year (average 10 glasses and two plates per week) . David Di Gioacchino, marketing campaign manager at Nisbets, said: “Giving your customers an unforgettable experience is a double-edged sword – sometimes they’re so impressed, they clearly want to take a bit of that experience home with them. While it’s certainly a compliment, it can quickly leave businesses understocked on the essentials, not to mention out of pocket. “That’s why we recommend they stock up on their most popular – and most pilfered – items in advance. To support local establishments, we’d suggest you don’t assume the cup comes with the coffee.”