Imagine telling a restaurant you’re allergic to gluten. Clearly. Directly. To their face.

Now imagine they serve you a burger containing gluten anyway. And the person they served it to was an undercover council officer — whose entire job was to test whether the restaurant would follow the law.

That’s exactly what happened at a cafe yards from Old Trafford stadium. And the problems didn’t stop there.

What happened at the Old Trafford cafe?

As reported by Roch Valley Radio, Trafford Council sent environmental health officers to a Cafe on Sir Matt Busby Way in August 2024. They found rat activity in food preparation areas — gnawed potatoes — while the cafe’s own HACCP records falsely claimed the site was pest-free.

The cafe closed voluntarily for eight days. But when undercover officers returned in November 2024, something arguably more dangerous emerged. An officer declared a gluten allergy and was served a burger containing gluten.

Both the cafe and its director, pleaded guilty at Manchester Magistrates’ Court. The company was fined £8,000 plus £1,000 costs.

Councillor Rose Thompson, Trafford Council’s Executive Member for Communities and Safety, confirmed the prosecution sends a clear message that substantial fines await businesses that put people’s health at risk.

Can You Claim Compensation If a Restaurant Ignores Your Allergy? (Even If You Didn’t Need Hospital)

Yes — and you don’t need to have been hospitalised. If you told a restaurant about your allergy and they served you food containing that allergen, they’ve potentially breached the Food Safety Act 1990 and the EU Food Information Regulations 2014. That’s a criminal offence carrying unlimited fines.

But here’s the bit most people don’t realise. A criminal prosecution — like the one Trafford Council brought against the Cafe — is separate from a compensation claim. The prosecution is the council’s. The compensation claim is yours. They run alongside each other, but your right to claim doesn’t depend on whether the council prosecutes.

What Should You Do After an Allergic Reaction in a Restaurant? (The First 48 Hours Matter Most)

Get medical attention immediately — even if your symptoms seem mild. A medical record created at the time is the single strongest piece of evidence in any allergy compensation claim.

You have three years from the date of the incident to bring a compensation claim. But the strongest claims are the ones where evidence was preserved early.