Mia Shay St Hilaire died aged 12 after drinking nut contaminated milkshake, coroner concludes

Mia Shay, who had a nut allergy, suffered a severe allergic reaction and despite extensive medical treatment, died five days later.

Now her family are calling for reform in the food industry to help people with food allergies navigate their choices.

Mia ordered a Twix milkshake at Pop Inn cafe in Bermondsey on 25 August 2023.

However, the milkshake she was served was prepared in a blender that had not been cleaned out after it had been used to create a Kinder Bueno milkshake, which contained hazel nuts, the inquest was told.

It was held at London Inner South Coroners Court from Monday 5 October and concluded on Thursday 8 October.

The inquest heard that after an ambulance was called Mia was taken to hospital but was confirmed as deceased on 27 August 2026 and organ support was withdrawn on 30 August 2023. Mia died at Evelina London Children's Hospital, part of Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Trust.

Assistant coroner Briony Ballard said Mia had consumed some of a Twix milkshake “which had been cross-contaminated with hazelnut residue from a Kinder Bueno milkshake previously prepared in the same unwashed blender.

“She developed rapidly progressing anaphylaxis and later collapsed at her aunt’s home.”

Despite extensive emergency treatment and being transferred to intensive care, Mia died, the coroner said.

Reading out a pen portrait, Mia’s parents told the court that their daughter was carefree and adventurous. She was an explorer by nature and a thrill seeker at heart. She embraced life with enthusiasm. She enjoyed learning about different cultures and cuisines and loved experiences that broadened her horizons beyond her everyday surroundings. She dreamed of visiting the world and was already beginning to learn Mandarin, Latin and French, reflecting both her intelligence and her ambition to connect with the wider world.

They said music was a huge part of Mia's life. She loved a wide range of musical genres and enjoyed playing several instruments, including the flute, recorder, drums and guitar. Through music, she found another way to express her creativity and individuality.

Following the inquest, Mia’s family issued a statement:

“We would like to thank the coroner for her careful and thorough investigation into the death of our beautiful daughter, Mia. We are grateful for the time and attention given to understanding what happened and for ensuring that Mia's voice has been heard.

“We are convinced that significant changes are needed to protect people living with food allergies. Consumers rely on food hygiene ratings when deciding where it is safe to eat, but they do not tell us anything about the way a food business runs allergy management systems.

“There should be a separate, clearly displayed rating dedicated to allergy management, like the food hygiene rating. This would mean that people with allergies could make informed choices about where they eat.

“For families living with food allergies, eating out should not mean they are at risk. We hope that lessons will be learned from Mia's death and that changes will be made to prevent other families enduring the devastation that we now have to live with.

“No family should ever have to lose a child in these circumstances. If the local authority had ensured that the cafe's allergy management responsibilities had been properly understood, and put into practice, we believe Mia would still be alive today.

“We want to make sure that change is Mia's legacy so that we can help to save lives in the future. Mia was deeply loved and she will never be forgotten.

“Finally we would like to thank our legal team namely Darragh Coffey and Michelle Victor, Angela Bruno and the team at Leigh Day for their support during this incredibly difficult time.”

Mia's parents are represented by the food safety team led by Michelle Victor, partner at law firm Leigh Day.

Michelle Victor said:

“Today marks the conclusion of an incredibly difficult and painful process for Mia's family who have shown extraordinary strength, dignity and determination in seeking answers about the circumstances surrounding her death.

“The evidence has highlighted serious concerns about the way food allergies are understood, managed and monitored within the food service industry.

“Mia's death demonstrates the potentially catastrophic consequences that can arise when allergy management systems are not robustly implemented, monitored and enforced. The family therefore call upon the Food Standards Agency and relevant authorities to review the current framework governing food allergy safety and consider meaningful reforms.

“The family hope that Mia's legacy will be one of positive change: a legacy that improves allergy safety, protects others from harm and helps ensure that no other family has to endure the heartbreak they have experienced.”

The reforms that Mia’s family are calling for are:

• The creation of a single, clear and comprehensive allergy management framework that enables businesses to understand and comply with their legal obligations;

• The introduction of a dedicated allergy safety rating scheme, allowing consumers to make informed decisions when choosing where to eat;

• Enhanced guidance and training for local authority inspectors to ensure a consistent approach to assessing compliance with food allergy requirements; and

• Greater support for food businesses to ensure staff receive effective allergy awareness training and fully understand the importance of robust allergy management procedures.