WAITROSE have been ridiculed after adding another product to their “essentials” range – scented ironing water.
The upmarket supermarket chain have been branded “posh w*****s” and “posh gits” over the camomile-fragranced product.
While more down-to-earth supermarkets restrict their “basic” lines to products such as beans, bread and milk, Waitrose customers apparently cannot press clothing without a floral scent wafting up.
The store’s “essentials” already include “tiramisu” and “fresh spinach and ricotta tortelloni”.
But the 1-litre bottles of scented ironing water, price £1, have sent the firm’s critics into overdrive.
An image captioned “Because ironing water IS essential!” was uploaded yesterday (MON) receiving more than 2,200 likes – with most users simply posting the laughing emoji icon.
And some users decided to give their views by just posting the hashtag “posh gits” and “posh w******”
Vicki Clark said: “One drinks it with gin and a slice.”
Pippa Bagnall wrote: “And after you can have your essential profiteroles as a reward.”
Pat Vanquish wrote: “I am not sure whether to put it in the iron or drink it to calm myself down when ironing.”
Craig Hall said: “I trust there’s a non “essential” version of ironing water. It’s very middle-lower class to buy essential products.”
And Andrew Thomas Woodcock joked: “These poor folks staff must use water in their iron?!? How crude. We use the tears of a thousand womens institute members.”
However some customers praised the product saying it is in fact an essential especially when living in areas with hard water.
Rowena McNulty said: “In the 1970-80’s I remember my father having to go to the ironmongers for distilled water for the iron. I understood it to be essential as tap water damaged the iron long term. But it was never bloody chamomile scented.”
Virginia Batty wrote: “It is! Makes ironing sooooo much less of a chore. Waiting for a Pinot Noir or a Malbec scented one.”
Richard Hills said: “ I can’t stand the smell of normal water – makes me wretch.”
And Adam Rees-Taylor joked: “I won’t let the housemaid use anything else. I’ve told the butler.”
Waitrose introduced their essentials range back in 2009 to target recession hit middle class customers.
The range of more than 1,500 products consist of staple grocery lines, such as basic cuts of meat, tinned tuna, eggs, jam, fruit juice, biscuits, milk, pasta as well as household cleaning products to echo Tesco’s Value range of products.
But since the introduction, many questionable “essentials” have found their way into the range including guacamole, vermicelli nests, sea salt and kelp shower gel and Cardamom and black pepper soap.
In 2013 the upmarket chain came under fire after customers started complaining that a free drinks offer was attracting “too many chavs”.
A Waitrose spokeswoman said: “If it’s essential to our customers, it’s essential to us.”
