The court case involving The Lemon Tree restaurant revolves around an incident that occurred on November 12, 2024. Two Wrexham Council officers, posing as customers, visited the establishment to check the gluten-free claims on the menu. While the dish marked “GF” was tested, it contained 358mg of gluten per kilogram—far exceeding the legal limit of 20mg, indicating a serious failure in allergen management.
The investigation revealed that gluten-containing flour likely contaminated the battered fish. The court noted that The Lemon Tree lacked a clear allergen handling policy and proper evidence of staff allergen training. Following the incident, the restaurant improved its policies and training related to allergens.
Initially fined £8,000 by Wrexham Magistrates Court, the restaurant’s surcharge was incorrectly set at £3,200 instead of the legal maximum of £2,000. Defensively, the restaurant’s legal representative argued that a lesser charge could have been pursued, and that the fine did not adequately consider the restaurant’s financial struggles as a micro-organization operating at a loss.
Judge Nicola Jones acknowledged the serious potential consequences of the incident but ultimately reduced the fine to £4,000 and the surcharge to £1,600, considering the restaurant’s circumstances. The Lemon Tree has since ceased serving lunch and dinner, focusing only on breakfast service.
