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Bandit Bakery owner slams ‘false’ and ‘malicious’ online reviews after hosting Palestine fundraiser

100% of sales from the specialty bakes were donated to the World Food Programme's State of Palestine emergency appeal.

Pete Leonard sitting holding bread.
Bandit Bakery owner Pete Leonard has slammed the 'fake' comments.

The owner of an Aberdeen bakery has hit out at those who he claims left one-star online reviews after doing a ‘bakes for Palestine’.

Bandit Bakery – which is located on the city’s Rose Street and is owned by Peter and Sarah Leonard – stopped making their self-confessed “world famous” cinnamon buns at the weekend for the first time.

Instead, they made buns that had a filling (cinnamon, dates and fennel) inspired by Palestinian desserts, with 100% of the sales going to the World Food Programme’s State of Palestine emergency appeal.

Outside of Bandit Bakery.
Bandit Bakery is located in the Rose Street area of Aberdeen. Image: Wullie Marr/DC Thomson.

Posting on Facebook, Mr Leonard said that he wanted to do something, because “like millions of others I’ve been deeply upset by the utter horror of what’s being inflicted on the people of Palestine”.

The Israel-Hamas conflicte started on October 7, when Hamas (a designated terrorist group in the UK) killed 1,400 Israelis in the southern part of the country, whilst capturing over 200 hostages.

In retaliation, airstrikes by Israel’s military has resulted in 8,000 deaths on the Gaza Strip, including 3,000 children.

Fake reviews ‘can ruin our business’

However, Bandit Bakery’s gesture was not appreciated by everybody, as Mr Leonard posted: “I just woke up to find out that a lot of people who’ve never even set foot in our bakery have left us one-star reviews on Google.

“Our almost perfect five-star review has always been a source of pride for me and now it’s ruined. I know I can contest these things but it takes time and there’s no guarantee it’ll work.”

Mr Leonard – who opened the bakery in 2021 – described these as being “false” and “malicious”, saying such things “can ruin our business” due to people believing them and the affect to online algorithms.

Some of the negative reviews Bandit Bakery received.
Some of the negative reviews Bandit Bakery received after hosting a ‘bakes for Palestine’. Image: Bandit Bakery/Facebook.

One the reviews said “avoid”, while another claimed to have “got sick” after eating there.

As well as this, Bandit Bakery’s email address was signed up to various email lists, including the Friends of Israel Defense Forces, World Jewish Congress and the US Department for Homeland Security.

Responding to what happened, Mr Leonard said: “I don’t hate anyone, no one. I just wanted to help.”

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