A Belfast-based catering company has been hit with a fine and forced to pay compensation after a customer was left in hospital when they suffered an allergic reaction to a nut product served at a function almost 18 months ago.
Event Warrior Limited T/A, trading as Craft Event Co – a sister company of multi-million pound catering group Mount Charles – entered guilty pleas to three food safety offences at Belfast Magistrates Court on Tuesday.
The first charge involved serving food that was unsafe for allergenic consumers. The second charge was for failing to ensure that all staff were adequately supervised and trained on food hygiene matters and, in particular, allergen management.
A third charge was in relation to failing to have proper procedures in place in their food safety management system to provide allergen-free food.
The case was heard before Belfast Magistrates Court on Tuesday
According to court documents, the alleged offences concern salted caramel brownies which were being sold by the company in September 2023.
The court found the products were “deemed unsafe and considered injurious to health” for anyone with a nut allergy as the company allegedly failed to detail the content of nuts in the products.
The prosecution was brought by Belfast City Council following a complaint that a customer suffered an anaphylactic reaction after consuming the item provided by Event Warrior T/A Craft Event Co at the function.
Belfast City Council brought the prosecution against the company
The individual, who has a nut allergy, administered an epi-pen and was kept in hospital overnight for observation.
Craft Event Co has been approached for comment.
According to its website, the company is a specialist wedding and events catering company and “our reputation is built on high standards, beautiful food, creativity and great customer service”.
It also has a partnership with National Museums NI to provide the food and drink service at the Ulster Museum in Belfast and the Ulster Folk Museum in Cultra.
The business has provided corporate and event catering at what it calls its “partner venues”, which include some of Northern Ireland’s most popular attractions such as Down Royal Racecourse, Belfast Castle and the Lyric Theatre.
According to its Companies House filings, Event Warrior Limited’s directors include Trevor Annon, the founder of the Mount Charles Group.
Founded in 1988, the group had a turnover of more than £33 million in 2023.
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News Catch Up – Tuesday 14 January