Remembering Mia: A Call to Make Eating Out Safer for People with Allergies

Mia Shay St Hilaire was 12 when she died after drinking a milkshake contaminated with hazelnut residue.

At the inquest, the coroner concluded that a Twix milkshake Mia ordered at a Bermondsey café had been made in a blender that had not been cleaned after it was used to prepare a Kinder Bueno milkshake.

Mia had a nut allergy. She suffered a rapidly progressing allergic reaction and, despite extensive emergency treatment and care in intensive care, died in hospital on 30 August 2023.

It is difficult to imagine the grief her family continue to live with. Their account of Mia also makes clear that she was far more than the circumstances of her death. She was adventurous and curious about the world, loved music and played several instruments, including the flute, drums and guitar. 

She was learning Mandarin, Latin and French, and dreamed of travelling. Her family describe a young person who embraced life and its possibilities.

Following the inquest, Mia’s parents thanked the coroner for investigating what happened and called for changes to help protect people living with food allergies. 

They want a clear, comprehensive framework for allergy management, stronger guidance and training for local authority inspectors, better support and training for food businesses, and a dedicated allergy safety rating to help customers make informed choices.

A standard food hygiene rating can tell customers about a business’s hygiene standards, but Mia’s family say it does not show how well that business manages allergens. Their proposal is intended to give people with allergies clearer information when deciding where to eat.

There are practical safeguards food businesses can put in place. The Food Standards Agency advises businesses to keep allergen information accurate and up to date, train staff to handle allergy enquiries, and clean utensils and equipment between uses to reduce the risk of cross-contamination.

For people with food allergies and their families, eating out should not have to mean accepting avoidable uncertainty. Mia’s parents hope that lessons from the inquest will lead to stronger protections and help prevent another family from experiencing such a loss.

Remembering Mia means recognising her love of music, learning and adventure, and listening to the changes her family are asking for in her name.

Mia's family are represented by specialist law firm Leigh Day https://www.leighday.co.uk