Worthing Kebab Shop Fined Over £11,000 for Mislabelled Meat and Allergen Failings

A Worthing kebab shop has been fined more than £11,000 after selling food with undisclosed allergens and misleading meat content.

Worthing Kebab Ltd, trading as Worthing Kebab House & Pizza on Teville Road, appeared at Crawley Magistrates’ Court on 3 April where directors admitted to a series of food safety offences. The charges included selling doner kebabs that contained undeclared meats and failing to provide accurate allergen information, despite previous warnings from Trading Standards.

In February 2024, West Sussex Trading Standards officers carried out a covert test purchase and found that a meat doner sold as milk-free in fact contained milk protein, posing a risk to allergy sufferers. Further investigations revealed that items listed as lamb doner also included unspecified other meats, breaching food description laws.

The company was fined £11,211. Director Mr Yasar Kizilcay was personally fined £1,288, while fellow director Ms Nazzat Kosser Riaz was fined £2,464. Both cited staff shortages as a contributing factor but said measures have since been taken to improve staff training and menu transparency. Trading Standards urged other food outlets to learn from the case to ensure consumer trust and safety.