Two investigations have been announced after a former employee at private members’ club Soho House claimed he was told to alter labels on out-of-date food.
The claims about the food safety practice at Shoreditch House, Soho House’s east London branch, are under investigation by both Hackney Council and the company.
Soho House, which charges up to £4,500 a year for membership, has apologised for what it said was an “isolated food labelling incident”.
The chain of private members’ clubs is popular with A-list celebrities. The likes of Taylor Swift and Kate Moss have been spotted at its locations across the world, while the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Harry and Meghan, reportedly met on a blind date in 2016 at its Dean Street house in London.
Kamran Khan, who worked at Shoreditch House for four months, told the London Standard he was instructed to remove labels from prepared food and replace them with new ones showing later preparation and expiry dates.
Mr Khan, who began working at the club on May 18, said he raised a formal whistleblowing report with Soho House on July 10, warning that the alleged practice could pose a risk to food safety and public health.
He initially posted a video about his experience on TikTok on Monday, September 28. The video has since received more than 1.6 million views and more than 2,000 comments.
A Hackney Council spokesman confirmed it had received a report concerning food safety and hygiene at Shoreditch House and has opened an investigation.
Hospitality worker Mr Khan was reportedly on probation at the venue when he raised the concerns in July. He told the Standard he was dismissed from his job on September 25, eight days after he said he reported the matter to Hackney Council.
Soho House confirmed that Mr Khan’s contract was terminated but said the decision was “entirely unrelated to food labelling”.
Soho House’s Shoreditch branch achieved a five-star rating, the top mark, at its last hygiene inspection in March.
According to Hackney Council’s website, it is against the law to supply food that is unsafe or harmful to human health. Food businesses must ensure that they comply with relevant food law, the council said, and owners can face enforcement action if they are found to have breached safety regulations.
Soho House said it was “very sorry” that an “isolated food labelling incident” had taken place.
A spokesman said: “We’re really sorry that this isolated food labelling incident took place at one of our kitchens. This is not how we expect our Houses to operate and it is not company policy.
“We have taken immediate action, and our Director of Health and Safety together with an external, independent consultant conducted an investigation and audit as a matter of priority.
“Delivering the highest level of food safety for our members and guests is incredibly important to us. Shoreditch House has consistently achieved the highest food hygiene rating score of ‘5’ from Environmental Health inspections – most recently in March this year – and also performed strongly in an independent and unannounced external audit last week.
“For clarity, the former employee’s contract was terminated for reasons entirely unrelated to food labelling.”
The first Soho House opened on London’s Greek Street, in the neighbourhood it takes its name from, in 1995.
Today, there are 10 in the capital alone and dozens of houses around the world, as well as Soho House designed restaurants, hotels, cinemas and co-working spaces.
Soho House was acquired by MCR Hotels last year in a deal valuing the company at £2 billion that took it off the New York Stock Exchange.
The investors included actor Ashton Kutcher, who at the time of the purchase was set to join the Soho House board.
