‘I Tried My Best’ – Train Worker Sacked After Serving Passengers Sausage Rolls From The Bin

A train worker for London North Eastern Railway (LNER) has been sacked after serving first class passengers sausage rolls that he retrieved from the bin and reheated in the microwave.

Peter Duffy claims he didn’t want to let down the passengers in first class after realising they were out of sausage rolls, and so went and grabbed the ones that had been discarded in the kitchen bin earlier.

He was grassed on by another member of the train crew who reported hearing laughter from the kitchen before the food was served, and also noticed the bin was empty when they had been told no sausage rolls were available as they had been thrown away.

On May 7 2023, Peter Duffy and a fellow train crew member were working onboard an LNER service departing York, when two passengers in first class ordered sausage rolls.

The colleague who reported Duffy expalined: “Myself and a host from standard class had been in the kitchen to get ourselves food when the host who was cooking told us the sausage rolls had just gone in the bin.”

The member of staff reported hearing “lots of laughing” from inside the kitchen where Duffy and his colleague were based.

 “A couple of minutes later one of the hosts from first class took the sausage rolls to Coach K.

“After I had finished my food I took my rubbish to the bin in the kitchen and this is when noticed the bins were empty and there were no sausage rolls in the bin.”

Sure enough, CCTV showed that Duffy had indeed retrieved the food from a bin before plating and reheating them.

His colleague from the kitchen then served the food to the two customers sitting in first class.

Both were suspended by the train company pending an investigation, with Duffy claiming he was “a person who goes over and beyond for the customer”.

He said: “I clearly took them out as there were none left for people in first class but they were wrapped in foil.

“We had totally ran out, I have just gone too far for the customer in my mind.”

Well, I suppose that’s one way of looking at it.

Duffy added that he suffered from anxiety and depression, was on medication and had been stressed with work but added: “That was me trying to do the best for the customer which I am well known for.”

He also claimed he experienced ‘transient global amnesia’, suggesting he had ‘forgotten’ where he got the sausage rolls from, but incredibly, the investigators didn’t buy that excuse.

In the end, Duffy was found to have committed gross misconduct and was sacked in July 2023. He claimed unfair dismissal and discrimination at a tribunal in Newcastle in August 2025 but both complaints were dismissed.

Unlucky pal. Can’t be serving sausage rolls out of the bin to paying customers, even if the motivation is to go “above and beyond”. You live and you learn.

For the woman who was left fuming after being served a sausage roll that looks like E.T.’s finger at Toby Carvery, click HERE.