A London cafe has been fined £18,000 after a 12-year-old girl died from a severe allergic reaction to a contaminated milkshake. Mia Shay St Hilaire, who had a tree nut allergy, died in hospital after visiting Pop Inn Cafe in Bermondsey. An investigation revealed that the cafe proprietor failed to properly clean equipment, leading to cross-contamination with hazelnuts and almonds. Mia's parents expressed their heartbreak and called for greater food safety awareness.
The parents of a 12-year-old girl who tragically lost her life after suffering a severe allergic reaction to a milkshake at a London cafe have expressed their profound grief and called for greater awareness about food safety . Mia Shay St Hilaire, from Sydenham, southeast London , died in hospital on August 30, 2023, following the incident at Pop Inn Cafe in Bermondsey. Mia, who had a known tree nut allergy , was taken to the hospital after experiencing a severe allergic reaction.
A subsequent investigation by Southwark Council revealed that the cafe proprietor, Baris Yucel, had failed to adhere to proper cleaning protocols for equipment, which ultimately led to the contamination of Mia's milkshake. CCTV footage showed Mr. Yucel not cleaning the blender before preparing Mia's drink, leaving behind traces of substances from a previous preparation, believed to contain hazelnuts and almonds. In December 2023, Mr. Yucel, aged 47, pleaded guilty at Croydon Magistrates' Court to six charges, including serving food containing an allergenic ingredient that should not have been present. He was subsequently fined £18,000 and ordered to complete 100 hours of community service at a sentencing hearing on Friday, January 5, 2024, at the same court. Mia's parents, Adrian and Chanel, released a heartbreaking statement, saying, 'We think of Mia every day and knowing her death could potentially have been prevented so simply, only adds to how heartbroken we are as a family. We hope this conviction and fine sends a loud message to businesses serving food and drinks across the country, of the devastating consequences of failing to take food safety seriously.' They emphasized the importance of businesses upholding food safety standards to protect those with allergies.Michelle Victor, a lawyer representing Mia's family, echoed the sentiment, highlighting the tragic consequences that can arise from businesses neglecting food safety legislation. She stated, 'Mia and all other children with allergies should be able to feel safe knowing that businesses serving food and drink adhere to food safety legislation put in place to protect their lives. But unfortunately, far too often we see that this doesn't happen, which can have tragic consequences such as in this case.' Southwark councillor Natasha Ennin called the incident a 'tragedy' and pledged to continue working with local businesses to ensure adherence to food safety rules. A lawyer representing Mr. Yucel expressed his client's deep remorse and stated that he thinks of Mia and her family daily. He emphasized that Mr. Yucel had a good food safety record prior to this incident and had taken immediate steps to improve his knowledge and procedures after the tragedy. He also pointed out that the cafe was not informed of Mia's allergy and that clearer signage regarding allergies would have been beneficial. Pop Inn Cafe received a Food Hygiene Rating of 5 in October 2023, indicating a high standard of food hygiene practices.
ALLERGIC REACTION CAFE CONVICTED DEATH FOOD SAFETY FINE HAZELNUTS HOSPITAL LONDON MILSHAKE NUT ALLERGY SOUTHWARK COUNCIL TREE NUTS
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