WHEN onions were missing on a shopping list, a Saltash store assistant sprang into action.

Partner at the Waitrose store in Saltash Sue McCann, was packing up an online order when she spotted a vital ingredient had been missed.

Noticing that the shopper had ordered all the ingredients for a stew except the onions, Sue packed up a couple with a little note.

Sue explained: “The customer ordered all the ingredients to make a stew apart from the onions and I know how annoyed I would be if I had forgotten to order them so thought I would give them a couple from Waitrose as a ‘It's on us’.

“We do have a policy at Waitrose that if we can help in any way to support the customers we do, whether it be a couple of onions or a bunch of flowers to make someone smile.”

It was Tom Coneybeare’s order for ingredients for a classic stew of beef, carrots, swede and gravy that was missing its onions. He took to a local Facebook community group to thank Sue for going above and beyond.

He said: “My thoughts when I first saw the onions were almost like in two parts; the first being ‘was something substituted?’, and ‘I don't remember ordering onions!’ But then I saw the ‘It's on Us’ tag, and just thought it was a nice gesture. It put a huge smile on my face.”

A spokesperson for Waitrose said: “As self-confessed food lovers, our Partners know their onions - and didn't want any tears shed over a missing ingredient.”

Sue has worked at the Saltash store for six years and added: “I enjoy my job as it's great to be able to spend the time with customers as they always come first and foremost.”