Nobody likes moldy cheese, especially Bethenny Frankel! The Real Housewives of New York City alum took to her Instagram Stories on Sunday, September 29, to share that she had some beef with Whole Foods following a recent shopping trip.
The Skinnygirl founder, 48, though she usually heads to Trader Joe’s for her weekly grocery haul, she stopped by a Whole Foods in Tribeca after finding herself in the trendy neighborhood. “And that’s when you’re like, I’m getting ripped off, but it’s OK, because it was convenient, whatever,” Frankel said, according to Bravo.
Though Whole Foods’ high prices clearly weren’t an issue for the reality star, she was none too happy when she later discovered that one of her purchases, a package of shredded mozzarella cheese, was covered in mold. The dairy product, Frankel explained, was bought so her daughter, Bryn Hoppy, 9, and friend could have a D.I.Y. pizza night.
“I swear to you, I’d rather waste money on a diamond necklace than $5 on moldy cheese at Whole Foods,” she quipped. “So, I’m annoyed today. Do you feel me or no?”
Imitating a well-known line from Mommie Dearest, the frequent Shark Tank judge added: “No more wire hangers in this closet, ever! No moldy mozzarella ever in this closet!”
Frankel also made it clear that she plans to make a second trek to the Tribeca Whole Foods so she could return her stinky cheese.
Believe it or not, this actually isn’t the first time the BStrong founder and Whole Foods have had a public spat. In 2011, the retailer abruptly stopped selling her Skinnygirl Margarita after the alcoholic drink was found to contain sodium benzoate, a preservative that, when mixed with other substances, can become carcinogenic.
In a written statement at the time, Whole Foods said the Skinnygirl Margarita “had been offered in 16 of Whole Foods Market’s 310 stores. After discovering that it contains a preservative that does not meet our quality standards, we have had to stop selling it.”
In a statement to Access Hollywood, Frankel stood by her popular libation. “I’m not making wheatgrass here. If I could put an agave plant and some limes on a shelf I would. [The Skinnygirl Margarita] is as close to nature as possible, while still being a shelf-stable product,” she explained at the time.
In fact, the Bethenny alum countered Whole Foods’ claim that her line was pulled. Instead, she noted that it was Skinnygirl that decided to no longer sell to the grocery store chain. “With all due respect to Whole Foods, we were in a dozen of their stores and have decided not to continue in these stores,” she said at the time. “They represent an infinitesimal fraction of our business. We are, in fact, the fastest growing spirits brand in the U.S. … We were bound to piss someone off, and everyone loves to try to tear down a success. This is a non-event.”
Frankel sold a portion of her Skinnygirl brand to Beam Global for an estimated $100 million in 2011.
