A BABY loss fundraiser has expressed her disappointment after her charitable dog treats were rejected by ‘soulless’ Costa Coffee, despite stores initially selling them. 

Kate Gough, an NHS worker from Woolavington in Somerset, set out to raise funds for a trek to Machu Picchu in Peru in aid of the Dorset-based baby loss charity, SPRING. Kate is undertaking the walk in memory of her two girls, Mia and Clara, who she lost at 19 weeks due to a rare pregnancy condition.

Kate said: “I approached the manager of the Costa store in Highbridge, asking whether I might be able to sell my dog treats for charity. They agreed and I then branched out to the stores at Dunball and North Petherton.”

Kate’s dog treats are homemade, using only organic ingredients including oat, banana and natural peanut butter. Spotting a gap in the market with Costa’s new dog-friendly store policy, Kate found a novel way to fundraise for her expedition.

But within one month, Kate was abruptly told to collect her dog treats. She said: “I received an email from one of the store managers saying: ‘Costa head office have sent out comms to ask all stores NOT to sell dog treats or even have them instore and we ask you to collect your dog treats from our store.’”

When Kate collected her dog treats, she asked for further elaboration and was told “if it’s not branded by Coca Cola, we can’t sell it”, and that Costa “are worried about allergies”.

Kate, who owns of a Cocker Spaniel and a Bassett Hound, describes the whole experience as “disappointing”.

“Costa has lost its humanity. They are soulless. All I’ve received is lots of scripted, robotic talk from management. I think people higher up in Costa overrode the decision to have my dog treats in the stores.”

A Costa Coffee Spokesperson said: "We were incredibly sorry to learn about Kate’s story and apologise for the miscommunication she was given locally. Whilst we are hugely supportive of local fundraising initiatives, as a national brand with over 2,500 stores, we are unable to sell any homemade products in store, including dog treats, as everything we sell must meet specific health and safety standards and regulations. We have since reached out to Kate and resolved this issue directly with her."