Girl, 12, died after nut-contaminated milkshake, inquest hears

An inquest is examining the circumstances surrounding the death of Mia Shay St Hilaire, 12, who died after drinking a milkshake from Pop Inn Café in Bermondsey in August 2023. Mia, who had a nut allergy, suffered cardiac arrests after consuming the drink. Her parents told the Inner South London Coroner's Court that their daughter's life was "cut short due to the failings of others."

Café owner prosecuted

CCTV footage presented at the inquest showed the café owner, Baris Yucel, using a blender to prepare a Kinder Bueno milkshake containing hazelnuts minutes before making Mia's Twix milkshake. The footage did not show the blender being washed between uses. Mia reportedly told her aunt the milkshake "has nuts in" after taking two sips.

Mr Yucel was prosecuted by Southwark Council's food safety team. He pleaded guilty to six food safety charges and was subsequently fined and given a community order. In a statement read at the inquest, Mr Yucel stated he did not ask about allergies when taking the order. He also said that while the policy was to clean the blender after each use, "at busy times this is not always possible."

Inquest examines seven issues

Assistant Coroner Briony Ballard stated that the inquest will investigate seven specific issues. These include Mia's diagnosis and allergy management, the events that occurred at the Pop Inn Café, the identification of the likely allergen, the emergency response, her hospital treatment, and crucially, whether any actions or inactions contributed to her death.

Mia's parents, Adrian St Hilaire and Chanel Spence, paid tribute to their daughter, describing her as "quirky, full of personality and blessed with an incredible sense of humour." They recalled twelve years of "love, laughter and joy" and expressed their struggle to comprehend a world without her. The inquest continues.