Zebra steak that was really horse
IT lured in customers with the promise of exotic cuts of zebra, l l ama and wildebeest.
But diners at The Steakhouse were likely to find themselves unwittingly eating horse.
The restaurant in Watford, which also had crocodile, kangaroo and camel on the menu and claimed to serve the best steaks in the London area, was investigated following a series of complaints, a court heard.
Two trading standards officers visited in April last year, posing as customers.
After their order of zebra and wildebeest was served, the pair entered the kitchen, and found an order ticket for ‘ one venison, chips and salad’ and ‘one horse, chips and salad’.
They confronted restaurant boss Kunal Soni, who claimed the waiter had ‘made a mistake’. When the meat was analysed, the ‘zebra’ was found to be horse and the ‘ wildebeest’ was venison from a red deer.
The officers went back the next month and found almost 50lb of horse meat in the freezer – the bulk of the restaurant’s stock of meat – even though horse was not among the items on the menu. Nor was venison. This week Soni pleaded guilty to misinforming customers. The 32- year- old, of Hemel Hempstead, told St Albans magistrates he was merely helping out at the restaurant, having just sold the business to the chef.
However, the court was told he described himself as the manager to the council on three occasions. He was conditionally discharged for 12 months, but ordered to pay £3,861 costs.
Richard Thake, cabinet member for community protection at Hertfordshire County Council, said after the hearing: ‘The public must have confidence in the food that is put in front of them when eating out.’