Restaurant manager gives evidence at inquest into death of nut allergy sufferer

Computer programmer James Atkinson died in July 2020 after eating a pizza he ordered on Deliveroo which contained peanuts.

James Atkinson, 23, had a severe allergic reaction after ordering a pizza from the Dadyal restaurant in Newcastle (Family handout/PA) (PA Wire)

The manager of a restaurant which supplied a nut allergy sufferer with a takeaway chicken tikka masala pizza containing peanuts has told his inquest that it was up to customers to inform staff if they had the potentially deadly health condition.

James Atkinson, 23, and two flatmates ordered three chicken tikka masala pizzas, chips and assorted Indian dishes on the Deliveroo app from the Dadyal restaurant in Howard Street, Newcastle.

Mr Atkinson, a computer programmer who was originally from Leeds, swiftly became ill at his home in Jesmond in July 2020, after eating less than a slice of his pizza, and died around an hour later in hospital.

The cause of death was anaphylaxis caused by eating peanuts in the curry, the inquest in Newcastle has heard.

They (customers with allergies) could lose their life. It is the responsibility of the person who has the allergy to mention it

Restaurant manager Gulfam Ulhaq

The inquest has been told that the Dadyal restaurant menus mentioned coconut, almond and cashew in the ingredients of their chicken tikka masala, but not the peanut powder it actually contained.

Gulfam Ulhaq, 58, who ran the restaurant for his brother who owned it, said it was up to customers to inform staff if they had an allergy.

Through an interpreter, he told the inquest: “They could lose their life.

“It is the responsibility of the person who has the allergy to mention it.”

The hearing has previously been told that Mr Atkinson used Google to find out if chicken tikka masala contained peanuts, but he did not call the restaurant to inform them of his allergy.

At the end of his evidence, Mr Ulhaq addressed Mr Atkinson’s family to express his condolences at the loss of their son.

The Dadyal has been closed for almost two years, the coroner was told.

The inquest continues.