West Sussex Restaurant Owner Fined For Falsely Claiming 'No Nuts' On Menu

A restaurant owner in Westergate, Aldingbourne has been fined over £4.5k after falsely claiming there were no nuts in his food.

Forty-three-year-old Awal Mahmmued of Elm Grove in Southsea, Hampshire, owns Basmati Restaurant Limited with two outlets - one in Nyton Road in Westergate and another in Locks Heath, near Southampton, Hampshire.

He was ordered to pay a total of £4669.82 in fines and costs at Crawley Magistrates Court on October 29th.

It's the second time Mr Mahmmued has been caught making false claims on his menu.

Trading Standards officers originally warned him in 2018 when an inspection at a previous restaurant he had owned uncovered false claims on the menu relating to welfare standards of meat, the nutritional content of dishes, use of artificial additives and the provenance of ingredients.

Mr Mahmmued told officers that the remaining takeaway menus would be amended or destroyed.

In early 2019 a Trading Standards Officer received an unsolicited takeaway menu for the Basmati restaurant in Aldingbourne, at her home address.

The menu appeared to be identical to the one previously found to be false.

Not only were the false claims still present, but they had been highlighted with a marker pen.

Officers then visited the restaurant undercover, claiming to be customers with a nut allergy.

They ordered three meals, the Tandoori Chicken, Chicken Biriyani and the Lamb Kurma, which were sent for testing by the Public Analyst.

All three failed the tests.

The Lamb Kurma contained a significant amount of almond, despite the officer declaring a nut allergy.

The Chicken Biriyani contained no saffron and the Tandoori Chicken contained artificial colours and flavourings.

None of the dishes were low in salt and oil, all contrary to what was claimed by the menu.

Peter Aston, West Sussex Trading Standards Team Manager, said:

"The consequences of failing to prepare or label food correctly can mislead the general public, and can be fatal for people with severe allergies.

"Whilst we appreciate this is a difficult time for the restaurant industry, there is no excuse for defrauding or endangering the lives of unsuspecting customers.

"This sentence sends a clear message that West Sussex Trading Standards takes food safety and standards very seriously.

"I hope this will encourage other restaurant owners to think carefully about their allergen management practices and how they describe the food they sell."

Deborah Urquhart, West Sussex County Council Cabinet Member for Environment, said:

"I would like to thank the Trading Standards Officers who investigated this issue.

"Serving unsafe food is a serious offence and will not be tolerated in West Sussex."

Anyone who thinks they have been a victim of an unfair trading practice, should contact Trading Standards via Citizens Advice on 08082231133 or online via www.westsussex.gov.uk/tsreport.