A serious food poisoning outbreak at a Coventry restaurant, caused by a strain of Salmonella never before reported in the UK, has resulted in significant fines and highlighted major hygiene failures.
Outbreak Details and Investigation
The incident occurred in June 2024 at Palm by H20 on Spon Street in Coventry. A total of 29 people reported severe symptoms, with several requiring hospitalisation after dining at the establishment.
Coventry City Council, working alongside the UK Health Security Agency, launched a major investigation. Tests on stool samples revealed a critical finding: 17 out of 18 samples contained the same unique strain of Salmonella, which was previously unreported in the United Kingdom.
The council stated the outbreak has had "a profound and long-lasting effect" on many victims, who continue to suffer physical and mental health repercussions.
Total Lack of Food Hygiene Uncovered
Inspectors visiting the restaurant uncovered what they described as a "total lack of food hygiene understanding." The failings were systemic and severe.
Key failures included:
- A complete absence of measures to prevent cross-contamination in the kitchen.
- Dangerous practices in the storage and handling of raw meat.
- Inadequate hand washing facilities and procedures.
- Insufficient training for staff, who showed no awareness of basic food safety risks.
As a result of these findings, the restaurant's food hygiene rating was slashed from the top score of 5 down to 1. Owner Mohammed Naveed agreed to voluntarily close the business until standards could be improved.
Legal Consequences and Path to Improvement
At Birmingham Magistrates' Court on 9 December, legal action reached its conclusion. Mohammed Naveed had previously pleaded guilty to multiple food safety offences in September.
He was personally fined £6,500 and ordered to pay costs of £10,186 plus a £2,000 victim surcharge. The business, Palm by H2O Limited, was separately fined £10,000 with identical costs and surcharge, bringing the total financial penalty to £18,686.
Following the prosecution, the restaurant undertook significant improvements. After a rescoring in August 2024, it achieved a five-star rating again. A follow-up visit on 14 January 2025 confirmed these high standards were being maintained.
Davina Blackburn, Strategic Lead for Regulation and Communities at Coventry City Council, emphasised their enforcement approach: "We take a staged approach to enforcement, and prosecution is a matter of last resort... It is vital that people running food businesses in Coventry are running clean and safe establishments all of the time."
