John Lewis wouldn’t swap my free breakfast bap for a vegan alternative

I’m a regular John Lewis customer and have a My John Lewis membership card which means I get sent vouchers and special offers.

I was recently sent a voucher to use in John Lewis restaurants, which was for a bacon and egg breakfast bun.

I’m vegan, so I contacted John Lewis customer services to ask if I could swap it for a vegan item of similar value. 

I was surprised to be told it was not possible to swap the reward. 

What about people who can’t eat some foods for dietary or religious reasons? Is this discrimination? C.L

Helen Crane of This is Money replies: All you wanted was a breakfast bap that chimed with your values, but you ended up in a bunfight with John Lewis when your request for a vegan alternative was denied.

The token you received is what is known as a personalised voucher. 

Every time you swipe your My John Lewis card in a John Lewis or Waitrose store, it records what you have bought and then – supposedly – offers you perks tailored to your preferences. 

Some retailers have adopted this system instead of a points-based one where you get money off based on how much cash you spend.  

Something must have fallen down in John Lewis’ digital data gathering, though, as you’ve never bought bacon and eggs. 

In an email from John Lewis customer service you showed me, a member of staff said they were ‘sorry to learn that you feel that it is discriminatory to have been sent the offer that you have received.’

They said the vouchers were allocated by a ‘sophisticated computer program’ based on your purchases, but that ‘when the rewards are allocated they are randomly allocated and we do not know the dietary requirements of a My John Lewis customer.’

They then declined to replace it with something more suitable. 

So were you entitled to a vegan bun? I looked at the small print of the My John Lewis card, and on paper at least it doesn’t seem you were. 

With regard to the personalised vouchers, it says: ‘The customer is not entitled to receive an alternative item or to receive any refund, cash alternative or to redeem an alternative voucher for that offer window or selection date, as appropriate.’

Whether it counts as discrimination is a tougher question to answer. 

In general, businesses are free to set their own rules about the products they sell (or give away) to customers. 

Restaurants, for example, aren’t required by law to offer a vegan option. 

However, ethical veganism is a protected characteristic under the ‘beliefs’ section of the Equality Act 2010 which does bring with it certain rights. 

According to the Vegan Society’s website: ‘You have the right not to be treated unfairly or disadvantageously by any service provider because you are vegan. This includes the catering industry.

‘You have the right to request and be provided with vegan food (advance notice may be required).’

But doing anything about this would require you to bring a legal case, which would cost far more than a vegan sausage and egg sandwich. 

Whether or not you were legally entitled to one, I felt John Lewis had made a bit of a pig’s ear of this. 

I contacted John Lewis to ask why it refused to roll with it and offer you a vegan bap. 

I’m glad to report that what you were previously told was wrong – and vegans can indeed get a meat and dairy-free alternative to items that are part of a My John Lewis reward.

A spokesman said food rewards were ‘based on a member’s location in relation to a John Lewis store that has a Place To Eat café.’

She continued: ‘The breakfast roll can be swapped for a vegan alternative, and other vegan alternatives are available for our other catering rewards, such as vegan milk alternatives and a vegan cake option for our cake rewards.

‘Unfortunately, it looks like [C.L] has been given incorrect information on this occasion, and we are following up to make sure this option is communicated more clearly.’

It has also been in touch with you to offer a £25 voucher as an apology for the confusion. 

I’m glad the retailer sorted this out for you and avoided being left with egg on its face.