Payout for boxer with nut allergy nearly killed by vegan cafe’s ignorance

Cardiac arrest: Justyn Page had an allergic reaction to milkshake.
Islington Boxing Club
Ross Lydall @RossLydall5 December 2018

An amateur boxer who nearly died after suffering an allergic reaction to a milkshake containing nuts has secured a six-figure compensation settlement.

Justyn Page, 26, went into cardiac arrest and had to be placed in a coma for five days after being served a coconut and vanilla milkshake containing 400 times the amount of cashew nut able to trigger a reaction.

He had told staff at Campbell’s Canal Cafe, a vegan cafe in Camden, about his allergies and had been assured the milkshake was safe.

His throat began to close after a few sips and he began sweating profusely and vomited. Antihistamine tablets had no effect.

He was taken to the Royal Free hospital, in Hampstead, where he suffered respiratory failure that caused his heart to stop.

When his mother Tabitha Page visited the cafe the next day to discover what had happened, the manager told her that “cashew nuts are not nuts”.

Mr Page, whose hopes of becoming a professional boxer were dashed by the allergic reaction, today shared his story to raise awareness of the dangers faced by people with allergies. He said: “The restaurant’s ignorance of their own ingredients changed my life forever.”

Referring to the death of 15-year-old Natasha Ednan-Laperouse after eating a Pret sandwich containing sesame, Mr Page added: “There have been too many serious accidents involving hidden ingredients recently, causing terrible tragedy for the families involved.

"We need an urgent review of the way food is labelled so that everyone knows exactly what they are eating.”

After his allergic reaction on June 15, 2016, Camden food safety inspectors were served the same milkshake at the cafe and were told it was “nut-free”. A large amount of cashew nut was found in ice cream used in the milkshake.

The council threatened to prosecute cafe owner Ronnie Graham, of RGC Restaurants, but this was halted by his death. The cafe has closed.

Theresa May ordered a review of food safety regulations in October after the inquest into Natasha’s death.

Mr Page, who has been allergic to nuts, eggs and diary since childhood, now runs boxing training for schools, First Round Fitness, in Willesden.

His lawyers secured an out-of-court settlement last month with the cafe’s insurers. ​Dushal Mehta, of Fieldfisher, said: “While most people with allergies are super-vigilant when buying food, the onus is on establishments such as restaurants and food outlets to keep people safe.”

Keoghs, the law firm that represented the cafe’s insurers, did not respond to requests for comment.

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