Bloom's kosher court appeal

The man who ran Bloom's, the famous Jewish restaurant in the East End of London, yesterday launched a High Court attempt to overturn a religious court's decision to ban him from the kosher food business.

Michael Bloom lost his livelihood after non-kosher meat was found in a refrigerator at at the restaurantin Whitechapel, London, two years ago.

Michael Supperstone QC, for Mr Bloom, said Mr Bloom was "kept in the dark" about a crucial statement from a driver confessing that he was to blame for the serious breach of strict Jewish dietary law.

He said the London Beth Din (court of the chief rabbi) had put Mr Bloom out of business, even though the judge presiding over the tribunal knew of the driver's confession, and asked the High Court to order a re-hearing by the religious court.