Durham Restaurant Fined for Serving Milk-Containing 'Dairy-Free' Drinks

A County Durham restaurant, Isla, has been ordered by the court to pay £8,275 after it served drinks marketed as dairy-free, which actually contained milk proteins. The restaurant faced two charges related to the incident.

The first violation took place in August 2024, when officers from Durham County Council ordered an oat milk cappuccino, only to find it contained milk proteins. Following this, the restaurant was advised to implement stricter allergen controls and decided to stop offering allergen-free products as a precaution.

Despite the changes, a second incident occurred in May 2025 when council officers again found milk proteins in a supposedly dairy-free oat milk cappuccino. This time, milk protein levels were even higher than in the previous test. Investigation revealed that a staff member had not signed the updated allergen policy and was unaware of its contents.

The restaurant, owned by Coarse Restaurant Limited, pleaded guilty to two charges, including supplying unsafe food. The magistrates fined the company £5,000, with an additional £2,000 victim surcharge and £1,274 in costs.

Mark Anslow, health and environmental protection manager at Durham County Council, emphasized the importance of businesses taking allergen responsibilities seriously, stating that consumers have the right to expect safe food and drink.

The company expressed distress over the situation but contested claims that the 2025 incident could have caused anaphylactic shock or serious adverse effects.