Luton Borough Council

27/10/2025 - Luton hotel fined after guest suffers allergic reaction

The operators of a hotel in Luton have been fined almost £40,000 after serving food to a customer which resulted in an allergic reaction.

On 6 March 2024, a guest at the Holiday Inn, Airport Way, Luton, suffered an allergic reaction after being served a noodle dish containing sesame, without being informed of its ingredients, despite informing staff multiple times of their sesame allergy. The guest required medical attention in hospital.

An investigation by Luton Council’s Environmental Health team found that although allergen information was available in the kitchen, staff failed to check or communicate it properly to the guest.

KE Hotels (Luton) Ltd, the operators of the Holiday Inn, pleaded guilty to two food hygiene offences: providing unsafe food and failing to adequately train and supervise staff. The company was fined £35,000 plus a victim surcharge of £2,000 and £2834.50 in costs, totalling £39,834.50.

Councillor Rumi Chowdhury, portfolio holder for food, health and safety, said: "It is essential that food business operators take their responsibilities seriously to provide accurate allergen information to customers. This case shows that failing to do so can have severe consequences for people with allergies.

“Our environmental health team works hard to protect residents from harm through routine inspections, educating businesses, improvement notices and food sampling to ensure businesses comply with the law. We will not hesitate to take action when food safety and hygiene breaches occur.”

Food business operators can find up-to-date guidance, resources and training on managing allergens in their business on the Food Standards Agency website.