The Cross at Kenilworth fined over £25,000 after apprentice chef suffers severe scalding

Michelin-starred restaurant The Cross at Kenilworth fined over £25,000 after apprentice chef suffers a workplace injury

It was reported yesterday in the Kenilworth Weekly News that the 18-year-old chef was working at the critically-acclaimed restaurant and had been tasked with cleaning an extractor fan in the kitchen when his foot slipped into a fryer full of hot fat. The fryer had reached scorching temperatures of 180°C, resulting in severe injuries which resulted in the young chef to receive several months of medical treatment.

The 3 A Pub Company Limited which trades as The Cross pleaded guilty earlier this year and was subsequently fined £25,200 at Coventry Magistrates Court. The company has also been ordered to pay £5,900 in costs and a £170 victim surcharge.

It was claimed that the injured chef, despite being employed by The Cross for over a year, had not been provided with any health and safety training, health and safety information or instruction.

In response to the ruling, Andreas Antona, owner of The Cross at Kenilworth, is quoted in the Kenilworth Weekly as saying the restaurant was 'deeply regretful' at what happened and had 'accepted responsibility'. And he added that the chef is currently still working at The Cross and hopes to complete his apprenticeship soon.

He said: "As someone with 25 years’ experience of running restaurants without a prior incident, it is clear that we take matters of health and safety very seriously.

"We employed specialist health and safety consultants prior to the accident to advise on these matters and following the incident we employed a further health and safety consultant to review our health and safety management system. The recommendations made following that review have been implemented.

"We are considering our position regarding an appeal as we feel the level of the fine to be unduly high."