Durham Restaurant Fined £8,275 for Serving Milk in Dairy-Free Drinks
Published on 07/06/2026 at 14:39 | Redaktion boerse-global.de
A Durham restaurant has been hit with a financial penalty of more than £8,000 after serving oat milk cappuccinos that contained milk proteins — a serious breach of food safety rules that underscores the legal risks for hospitality businesses marketing dairy-free alternatives.
Coarse Restaurant Limited, which operates the Isla restaurant, pleaded guilty to the offences following an investigation by Durham County Council. Undercover officers identified milk proteins in the supposedly dairy-free drinks on two separate occasions — first in August 2024 and again in May 2025.
Court Penalties
On July 6, 2026, magistrates imposed a total financial penalty of £8,275. This comprises a £5,000 fine, a £2,000 victim surcharge, and legal costs of £1,274.
The court found that the establishment had failed to ensure the dairy-free integrity of the drinks served to customers, putting those with milk allergies at risk.
Wider Enforcement Trend
The Durham case is not an isolated incident. On June 22, 2026, a Preston restaurant was also heavily penalised for allergen failures. Coconut (NW) Ltd, trading as Coco's Soul Food, was fined nearly £11,000 for serving burgers labelled as dairy-free that contained milk protein. Company director Ebrahim Paruk received a personal fine of £650 for violations that took place in late 2023 and late 2024.
New Allergen Legislation on the Horizon
The Durham ruling coincides with significant developments in allergen regulation both internationally and in the UK.
In California, a new law took effect on July 1, 2026, requiring restaurant chains with 20 or more locations to list nine major food allergens on their menus: milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, and sesame.
Closer to home, new statutory guidance was published on July 5, 2026, regarding Benedict's Law — named after Benedict Blythe, a student who died in 2021 from a milk allergy while at school. The law, set to be implemented in schools across England from September 2026, will require educational institutions to store emergency allergy medication, maintain formal allergy policies, and provide specialised training for staff.
The recent court ruling in Durham highlights the increasing focus by local authorities on food safety compliance, as regulators and new legislation continue to address the risks posed by undisclosed allergens in the hospitality and education sectors.
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