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Food

This Grocery Store Chain Has Begun Hiding Its Meat Due to Rampant Theft

Customers who want to purchase steaks must now inquire with a staff member.

The UK-based supermarket chain Co-op Food is asking, "Where's the beef?" No, literally. Someone keeps stealing it.

The stores are no longer featuring beef steaks on their shelves in an effort to stop rampant shoplifting of their priciest cuts of meat.

An initial poster blamed "deviants" for the the theft, but has since been taken down. "We apologise for any inconvenience this causes our honest customers," says one sign.

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The empty shelf-space has since been replaced with placards requesting customers to inquire with a staff member if they are interested in purchasing a steak.

Speaking anonymously with local publication Cornwall Live, shop employees admitted that the meat theft was occurring so frequently that at times there was rarely any left for paying customers.

READ MORE: Don't Leave Your Unwanted Meat in the Detergent Aisle at the Grocery Store, You Monsters

Some have pointed the finger at local police for not caring about the repeated, small-time theft. Meanwhile, authorities have questioned whether the stores were making enough effort in terms of security in order to curb the the problem.

One thing is for certain: with all this fancy meat being stolen, we know it's not the Hamburgler. He's already filling up on dollar burgers at the Golden Arches, and he definitely can't run very fast at this point in his career.