Hotel fined £20,000 for nut allergy afternoon tea
Teen prevented from eating sandwich by her grandmother
AN “astute” decision by a grandmother may have avoided devastating consequences after she took the first bite from a sandwich served at a hotel in Sutton Coldfield to her and her granddaughter.
The sandwich, served on a platter, could have caused a severe reaction in her granddaughter who has a nut allergy.
Moor Hall Hotel Ltd, which made the blunder, was handed a £20,000 fine.
The company, which had previously admitted contravening regulations by providing an afternoon tea that was injurious to health and a breach of Food Safety and Hygiene Regulations, was also ordered to pay £3,439 costs.
The grandmother had booked an afternoon at Moor Hall Hotel in Four Oaks on October 31, 2019, for herself and two of her grandchildren. However, at the last moment, the booking changed to include a 14-year old granddaughter who had a severe
nut allergy. When they arrived a waiter was told about the girl’s allergy who said he understood the request. A stand was then brought to their table containing cakes and sandwiches.
The grandmother then took a bite from one of the sandwiches which included carrot but also a nut paste. Matthew Cullen, prosecuting at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court, said the granddaughter did not sample the sandwich and began crying.
She then went to the toilet to take the allergen medication she had
brought with her as a precaution.
The grandmother reported the incident to the city council environmental health department and officers went to the hotel, a week later, on November 7.
Their investigation revealed that some of the staff had not received sufficient training regarding allergens. When they inspected the kitchens they also found a number of items including a bottle, a handheld food blender and chopping board were dirty with food debris.
In passing sentence, District Judge
Briony Clarke said: “Fortunately for her and all those concerned her grandmother picked up the sandwich first and took a bite.
“She astutely recognised there could be a problem. Had she eaten it there could have been devastating consequences for her. She recognised that and understandably became quite upset about what had happened.”
She said that the girl’s allergy was so severe that she needed to carry a large amount of medication with her.
Judge Clarke said the information about her allergy was not passed on as it should have been. “There was a gap in the system that was in place,” he added.
Tim Pole, defending, said the company had been operating since 1961 and that there had been no previous enforcement notices. He said: “Significant evidence that this is a company that takes its obligations relating to food safety seriously.”
He said there had been a flaw in the system but action had been taken to remedy the situation. Mr Pole said the company had also suffered greatly financially due to the pandemic.