Pub chain fined after child’s serious allergic reaction highlights need for robust allergy policies 

Innventure Ltd, a UK-wide pub, restaurant, and inn chain, has been fined £26,802.76 at St Albans Magistrates Court after pleading guilty to food safety offences. The prosecution by Hertfordshire County Council’s Trading Standards followed a serious allergic reaction suffered by a nine-year-old boy with a wheat allergy at The Rusty Gun pub in Hitchin, owned and operated by Innventure Ltd, in August 2023. 

During a celebratory family meal, Ralph’s mother, Lauren, asked staff multiple times if the sausages on the children’s menu contained wheat and she was reassured that that they did not. After eating a quarter of the sausage, Ralph began to feel unwell and the family left shortly after. When they returned home it became clear that Ralph was having a serious allergic reaction, and he was taken to hospital for treatment and monitoring. 

Lauren recalled the terrifying experience they had, she said: “Ralph was really unwell – it’s every parent’s worst nightmare…I will always have a lasting memory of Ralph asking me if he was going to die that night.” 

The family were not initially aware of the wheat in the sausages which added to the worry, but upon contacting the restaurant, Lauren was informed of the mistake. The family were offered a free meal, a response Lauren found “blasé,” prompting her to escalate the complaint to Trading Standards. “We just feel so lucky Ralph didn’t eat the whole sausage, as we could be telling a very different story right now if he had.” 

Following the complaint, Trading Standards officers began an investigation which concluded that the Rusty Gun lacked consistent and documented allergen training for all members of staff and that a clear allergen management process on which all members of staff should have been trained, was not in place. 

Andrew Butler, Director for Community Safety and Regulatory Services at Hertfordshire County Council, emphasized the importance of food and allergen safety: “This incident should never have happened… I would urge anyone that has had a similar experience to make a report to Trading Standards… so that any food business not taking allergen safety seriously can be held to account.” 

If you want to find out more about the work Trading Standards, visit Hertfordshire County Council’s business pages.  

Anaphylaxis UK support 

This case once again highlights the need for all food businesses to have a robust allergy policy in place which should also detail the allergy knowledge and training required of staff. You can find out more information about what to include in your allergy policy on our website.  

Our AllergyWise® Improvement Programme provides expert guidance, practical tools, and ongoing support to help your team stay informed and confident in allergen management. Find out more.