Pub fined after boy's allergic reaction to sausage

A pub chain has been fined almost £27,000 after a young boy had an allergic reaction to a sausage.

St Albans Magistrates Court heard that the mother of the boy, from Welwyn Garden City, had been assured twice that the sausage did not contain wheat.

The Rusty Gun, in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, later confirmed that there was wheat in the food and offered the boy's parents a free meal as an apology.

The owners, Innventure, said those who had "let this young man down" had been dismissed or had resigned.

The boy, called Ralph, was nine years old at the time and went for a birthday meal at the Rusty Gun in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, with his parents, Lauren and James, in August 2023.

The court was told that Lauren asked the pub staff on two occasions whether the sausage chosen by her son contained wheat.

Waiting staff checked with the chefs in the kitchen and told Lauren the recipe did not contain wheat.

Ralph began to feel unwell after eating just a quarter of the sausage.

Back at home, parts of Ralph's body began to swell; he had red hives all over him and had difficulty breathing.

He was given steroids and adrenaline at the local hospital before being transferred to Lister Hospital in Stevenage.

Lauren said: "It's every parent's worst nightmare watching their child struggle to breathe, and I was thinking the worst.

"I will always have a lasting memory of Ralph asking me if he was going to die that night."

She said she called the Rusty Gun and asked whether they were sure the sausage contained no wheat.

"I was then told 'we made a mistake' and - can you believe it? - I was offered a free meal!"

Hertfordshire Trading Standards investigated the incident and charged the pub's owners, Innventure, with two offences under food safety legislation.

Innventure pleaded guilty at St Albans Magistrates Court on 6 May and was ordered to pay a total of £26,802.76 in fines and costs.

Ralph was awarded £1,000 in compensation.

A spokesperson for Innventure said: "Those that let the company and this young man down in August 2023 have been dismissed or have resigned.

"We have undertaken a comprehensive review of the allergens processes and procedures operated by the business. New and improved systems are in place to ensure that this never happens again.

"We offer and have offered our sincerest apologies to the young man in question."

Tanya Ednan-Laperouse OBE, from the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, said: "We would urge anyone working with food to take food allergies seriously so that all people can eat out safely."

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