Mums have slammed a covid-moaner who told a woman she should not be buying a 'non-essential' kettle - despite it being for her baby's bottles.
The mum was in the checkout queue in her local Tesco when she heard the man behind her 'mutter' that she should not be buying a kettle because it was not an 'essential' item.
However the mum revealed that her kettle had blown up the night before and she'd had to borrow hot water from her neighbour in order to feed her baby in the morning.
Posting to Mumsnet, she pleaded with people not to judge others on what they consider 'essential'.
She said: "Because I've just been to Tesco and brought a kettle.
"'I've just had a bloke when I was stood in front to pay. Mumble about an 'essential kettle'
"Did he know why I had to buy it. Did he plums!
It's not so I can go home and have a relaxing cuppa.
"It's so I can make formula for my baby. Because last night our kettle went bang!
"We had to get hot water off the neighbour for this mornings bottle so I could then run to grab one.
"What's essential to some isn't to others.
"Yes I think there's prob a fine line but I wish people wouldn't judge."
The mum's post received hundreds of comments, mostly from outraged mums blasting the man for his comments.
One said: "The people who complain about essentials are ridiculous. If you dig down deep enough, pretty much nothing we have is essential.
"I bet that man had in his trolley plenty of items which he could live without - any drink except water could be deemed non essential, any "luxury" food item e.g. crisps, biscuits, yogurts, ham, butter, jam.
"Any cosmetics, deodorant, shampoo or shower gel. We can live without these things. But it wouldn't be a good quality of life would it.
"People seem to forget that enjoying life is not "essential" but very few would be happy to live that way."
Another agreed: "His problem not yours at least he has something to say and be judgemental about when he gets home. Imagine living with that?
"Everyone needs a kettle, heating hot water in a pan and trying to get it into bottles half asleep increases likelihood you will burn yourself with booking water and end up in A&E to get it dressed. So it's essential"
"He’s a complete idiot, kettles aren’t something you buy for fun because you fancy having 2," added another.
A fourth said: "Is alcohol essential???? For some it is. For some it isn’t. Is bottled water an essential if we all have taps.
It’s debatable. People need to focus more on staying safe when shopping not what people are buying."
However others thought she could have managed without one.
One said: "I hate myself for picking on details now and I think a kettle is essential plus I don’t care what other people buy, but could you not have boiled water in a saucepan and then transferred to a jug in an emergency?"
Another echoed these thoughts, saying: "I don't have an issue with you buying a kettle but did you have no other means of heating water at all this morning? The contact with the neighbour seems unnecessary."
