Cafe chain makes all its gingerbread men 'gender neutral'
![](/media/4310/080818gingerbread-landscape.jpg?width=620)
They are now re-naming them gingerbread people. What do you think?
By Practical Parenting team
August 08 2018
A national cafe chain is causing a stir by announcing it will no longer sell gingerbread men, but will re-name them ginger people.
Currently you can buy a gingerbread treat called Godfrey at Pret-a-Manger in the UK but the cafe chain has just announced they are to introduce a gingerbread woman called Annie and both will be called gingerbread people or just gingerbread biscuits.
The change has prompted a huge outcry in the UK with live debates on TV and radio, and many outraged that the tradition of gingerbread men is disappearing.
But Pret-a-Manger says the change was only made after Clive Schlee, its chief executive, received a letter from a customer called Annie asking why there were no “gingerbread girls”. Inspired by the letter he decided to introduce a female gingerbread biscuit named after her.
Clare Clough, Pret’s food and coffee director, said that the move away from gender labels was a natural progression. “Since we’ve introduced Annie, we thought it would be simpler to call them gingerbread biscuits.”
![The biscuits were discussed on ITV's This Morning show](/media/4313/screen-shot-2018-08-09-at-85049-am.png?width=675)
The biscuits were discussed on ITV's This Morning show
But many viewers who watched ITV's This Morning show can't believe that there is a national debate about the biscuits.
Journalist Julia Hartley-Brewer says, 'If you've got time to be bothered by a gingerbread biscuit or what a gingerbread biscuit is wearing, your life must be incredibly sad and empty.'