The takeaway Spice World in Crawley, West Sussex, has been fined for serious food safety failures following a covert investigation into the sale of unsafe food. The enforcement action was announced by West Sussex County Council Trading Standards on 2 March 2026, following a secret test purchase conducted in September 2024.
The investigation by West Sussex County Council Trading Standards identified significant safety breaches when an undercover officer purchased a lamb doner kebab. Despite being told the food was milk-free, laboratory analysis later confirmed the presence of milk protein, which posed a serious risk to customers with allergies.
At Crawley Magistrates’ Court on 26 February 2026, EH Enterprise Limited (trading as Spice World), along with director Zeshan UL HAQ and manager Ashan UL HAQ, pleaded guilty to food safety offences. The company was ordered to pay a total of £1,400, while the director and manager were each ordered to pay £704 in fines, surcharges, and costs. The court heard this was a follow-up investigation after a previous prosecution against the business in April 2024.
Cllr Duncan Crow, Cabinet Member for Community Support, Fire and Rescue, stated that serving food without declaring correct allergens can have “dire consequences” and must be taken seriously by business owners. The council continues to monitor local shops to ensure all food safety rules are met and to protect the public from similar risks.
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