Worthing kebab shop fined £11,000 after customer with allergy served unsafe food
'Kebab house' in Worthing sold a doner kebab containing milk despite staff assuring a customer it was safe, a court has heard
Last updated 14th Apr 2025
A kebab shop in Worthing has been fined more than £11,000 after serving food containing milk to a customer who had declared a milk allergy.
The company behind the business, Worthing Kebab Ltd, which trades as Worthing Kebab House & Pizza at 32 Teville Road, admitted several food safety offences at Crawley Magistrates’ Court on 3 April 2025.
Officers carried out a test purchase in February 2024, asking for a meat doner and clearly stating a milk allergy. Staff said the food did not contain milk, but tests later confirmed milk protein was present, making the food unsafe.
The shop’s menu was also found to be misleading, with products such as the 'doner wrap' and 'kids doner' advertised as lamb but containing other types of meat.
Yasar Kizilcay and Nazzat Kosser Riaz, directors of the company, pleaded guilty to all charges. In court, they said the incident happened during a period of staff shortages and told magistrates that since then, they had introduced allergen training, improved signage, and updated menu descriptions.
Trading Standards officers had previously visited the shop in August 2021 and July 2022, highlighting a range of food safety issues, including the need to provide correct allergen information.
The business and Mr Kizilcay were prosecuted in 2023 for similar offences, including displaying an incorrect hygiene rating.
A spokesperson for Trading Standards said: “It is vital that consumers can trust food descriptions and rely on businesses to take allergens seriously. We urge all retailers to take this conviction as a cautionary example and ensure they are accurately describing their products.”
Worthing Kebab Ltd was fined £11,211. Mr Kizilcay was ordered to pay £1,288 and Ms Riaz was fined £2,464.