A FREE no-strings-attached latte, cappuccino or cup of tea at the Waitrose café in Great Malvern will soon be a thing of the past.

The retailer will implement new rules from Monday, February 9, requiring people to buy another item such as a sandwich, cake or piece of fruit to be eligible for the complimentary hot drink.

Members of the myWaitrose scheme however can still get a free brew from the self-service machines while shopping in store.

A spokesman for the company said: “A complimentary tea or coffee while shopping with us is one of our ways of saying thank you to our customers.

“Most people who have their myWaitrose free drink in the café understand that they should buy something from the café to have with their tea or coffee, and so we are simply confirming that.

“MyWaitrose members who would like to drink their free tea or coffee in the café will also need to buy something in the café such as a sandwich, cake or piece of fruit to go with their drink. Customers can still buy a drink in the café too.

“Of course myWaitrose customers can still get their free hot drink from the self serve machines whilst they are shopping with us.”

The myWaitrose scheme is free to join and offers shoppers free hot drinks, complimentary magazines and additional savings on everyday items.

In Droitwich the Waitrose store is unaffected by the changes because it does not have a café.