A group of mothers and their babies held a peaceful protest at the Greggs branch in Westwood Cross after a customer was told she could not breastfeed inside the store.
Rebecca Reeve, accompanied by her partner, was shocked when staff at the branch instructed her to either find a bench or use a public toilet to breastfeed her child. The incident, which took place on February 16, sparked outrage among local mothers, leading to a public demonstration.
The protest, which occurred on Saturday, February 22, saw around eight mums and their children gather in solidarity. Greggs has since apologized to Miss Reeve, clarifying that breastfeeding is welcomed in all its stores.
Rebecca Reeve, 23, from Birchington, shared her thoughts with KentOnline: “It was heartwarming to have the support of all those breastfeeding mums, their partners, and other women after the distressing incident at Greggs. The protest was peaceful, with mums simply feeding their babies—something that is our right. It was also wonderful to meet new people and hear about their own experiences with breastfeeding and motherhood.”
The demonstration was organized by fellow mother Lauren Skye Rose and lasted for about an hour and a half. Greggs showed support by offering the protesting mothers free baked goods and bottles of water. Westwood Cross also contributed by providing tote bags and breast pads.
Rebecca continued: “I spoke with Sarah, the regional manager, who was supportive and thought our protest was a lovely idea. It was a day where we could all get our message across and show others in the restaurant that breastfeeding in public is protected by law.”
Greggs has confirmed that the actions of the store staff did not align with company policy, and the incident was not in accordance with the company’s stance on breastfeeding. The bakery chain assured that all staff would be reminded of the legal rights surrounding breastfeeding.
A Greggs spokesperson commented: “Customers are always welcome to breastfeed in our shops. We are working with our shop teams urgently to ensure this issue does not occur again.”
The Equality Act of 2010 protects women from discrimination when breastfeeding, stating that it is illegal to ask a breastfeeding mother to leave a public place, including cafes, shops, or public transport.
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