STARBUCKS bosses have apologised to a young mum who says she was asked to stop breastfeeding her four-week-old baby in one of the chain’s York cafés.

Rachael Price, who lives in The Groves, York, said the incident at Starbucks in Coney Street reduced her to tears.

She said a member of staff approached her at the table she was sitting at with a friend and asked her to stop breastfeeding her daughter, Grace, because it would upset other customers.

Rachael, 21, said: “I was told that if I wanted to carry on I would have to leave. I couldn’t believe it.

“It was the first time I had breastfed Grace in public and I was being pretty discreet about it because I was quite self-conscious myself.

“I definitely wasn’t sitting there with anything on show and the lady even had to ask me if I was feeding Grace, because she couldn’t actually tell.”

Rachael, who works as a customer service representative for Aviva, added: “I don’t think there is anything wrong with breastfeeding in public. It’s one of the most natural things in the world.”

A spokeswoman for Starbucks said the company had no issue with women breastfeeding their babies in their coffee shops.

She said: “We’re terribly disappointed that this customer has had this experience in our store, which we believe is an isolated occurrence. “Our partners in our Coney Street coffeehouse, many of whom are working mums themselves, would be grateful for the opportunity to welcome this customer back to their store so that her concerns can be addressed.

“At Starbucks, not only are we welcoming of all customers in our stores but we’re also committed to making a positive impact on the community beyond our stores.”

She said staff in the Coney Street coffee house had recently supported the city’s Just Women Conference and would also be taking part in Breast Cancer Campaign’s Wear It Pink Day on October 30.