Sainsbury’s boss ‘calls customer f***ing faggot’, claims he was just talking about mother’s dinner
COBHAM, UNITED KINGDOM – MARCH 29: Sainsbury’s at Cobham on March 29, 2006 in Surrey, England. Sainsbury’s has posted better than expected sales increases for the fifth consecutive quarter. (Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)
PinkNews Exclusive
Sainsburyās is embroiled in a homophobia row after a store boss was accused of using an anti-gay slur.
A customer at Maidenhead Sainsburyās Local claims a manager referred to another customer as a āf***ing faggotā.
The Sainsburyās manager has now claimed he was just referring to his food plans ā saying he wanted to eat faggots for dinner.
Sainsburyās HQ is launching an internal investigation into the allegations.
Jack Browne, a customer at the Maidenhead King Street branch of Sainsburyās Local, says he overheard the foul-mouthed slur from Grant, a manager at the store.
He told PinkNews: āI was in Sainsburyās Local last night at 22.45 buying a can of Coke to get me through my night shift.
āThe manager on shift was serving customers on the till next to where I was being served, when the customer walked away the manager, Grant, went āf***ing faggotā
āI looked up and asked him to repeat what he just said and he looked confused.
āI repeated it for him and asked if I had heard correct.
āHe said, āyeahā¦ I was joking though.’ā
PinkNews contacted Grant for comment, who appeared confused about his version of events.
He originally said he knew what happened because it involved a friend of his, before switching to telling the same story in first person.
Grant told PinkNews: āI asked my mum to cook me faggots and I know you wonāt believe me but I donāt even care.
āI think he was wrong to misinterpretate [sic] it.ā
He added: āIt was just between me and my friend and then he asked me.
āI was confused and asked him what he meant. He said I was being derogatory and I didnāt mean it in that context.
āHe stormed out and I said, ālook mate you must have misinterpretated [sic] what I said.ā
āI havenāt intentionally meant to offend him and Iām sorry.ā
Grant, who is a manager at the store, continued: āIāve got quite a few gay friends, Iām not homophobic of course.
āI apologise if he felt offended.ā
In a statement to PinkNews, Sainsburyās said: āWe do not tolerate discrimination in any form and are already conducting a full investigation.ā
