A bakery owner in Blackpool has poured cold water over an online backlash after critics hit out at him for selling non-binary gingerbread people. The Cottage Bakery attracted widespread attention on Facebook earlier this week when someone shared a picture of their gingerbread people on the social media platform. The post has been shared more than 1,000 times and triggered a furious reaction, with people branding the name “ridiculous” and “outrageous”.

Bakery owner Paul Cook explained a law change which meant his business needed to now label all their packaged products led to their decision to change the name of the gingerbread.

Natasha’s Law was laid in the House of Commons three years ago after teenager Natasha Ednan-Laperouse died when she suffered an allergic reaction to a Pret a Manger baguette.

Paul has therefore obtained new labels for the biscuits but was inspired by the print worker to rename them as ‘non-binary gingerbread people’ as a joke.

He explained to the Daily Star: “We’ve sold them for 20 years here and we re-labelled them about three years ago and it’s only the last week that it’s just got mental as somebody posted it on Facebook and everyone started going on about it.”

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“Because we wrap the cakes we had to label them and because of a lot of people making comments that we couldn’t call them gingerbread men, we called them gingerbread person

“When I went to get the labels printed, the printer guy said to me ‘why don’t you call them non-binary’ just joking around. I said ‘right just do it then.'”

He added: “It’s just gingerbread, it’s not a man or a woman then is it? It’s nothing”.

Customers had mostly reacted positively to the move, but there has also been a significant backlash on social media.

One person responded to the Facebook post: “Absolute madness. Won’t even be able call it gingerbread soon in case it offends gingers”.

Another social media user added: “Always was and always will be a gingerbreadMAN”.

Paul said some customers have seen the funny side, while insisting he never meant to “upset or be offensive to anyone”.

The bakery owner added: “A lot of people have been saying that it’s quite funny and then a lot of people have been saying making comments saying it’s wrong to do that, it’s 50/50ish”.

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“It wasn’t meant to upset or be offensive to anyone it was just a little bit of a joke really”.

However, the post on Facebook also received many positive comments from people who believe the move to gingerbread people is one in the right direction.

One wrote: “Tbh, should have always had this option or a ‘Gingerbread Person’ so everyone feels included. Little lasses may have wanted a gingerbread woman/girl, so this is good.”

Many others questioned why some people even cared about the name change. One responded: “Y’all so mad for what? it’s a damn cookie. either eat it or don’t.”

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