An allergy sufferer from Manchester was left to eat a Sainsbury’s meal deal whilst out to dinner with friends, after being refused service by a local restaurant on account of her food allergies.
Despite having already signed an allergy waiver at the eatery and travelling home to get her EpiPen, at a personal cost of £16 in taxis, Megan Seymour, 22, was ultimately left to fend for herself during a recent visit to glitzy Salford sushi restaurant Firefly.
The vegan communications advisor from Manchester is used to being asked by staff about her allergies when dining out but said on this occasion she was made to feel like she had ‘a contagious disease’ after the trip to the glamorous sushi joint, reports Lydia Patrick.
“For someone who has dealt with serious issues with eating this entire experience was rather traumatic. I was made to feel as though I couldn’t eat and was unwanted as a customer”, she told The Manc.
All began well, with the group ordering cocktails and admiring their surroundings before being asked by their server if anyone had any food allergies – a textbook procedure.
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Megan explained that she was seriously allergic to both nuts and fish, and, as part of FIrefly’s procedure, she was then asked by their server if she had her EpiPen. She did not.
“I had left it in another bag at home which was admittedly a silly mistake and agreed I would go and pick it up,” she said.
Whilst she left to make the 30-minute round trip home to collect it, the rest of her group were told they could order while they waited – only to be informed shortly after by another team member that they would have to wait until Megan had shown her EpiPen.
£16 in Ubers later Megan returned, armed with her EpiPen, and signed a waiver stating that even though Firefly had done everything they could, there remained a risk of cross-contamination and trace ingredients.
In the case that Megan did have an allergic reaction, the restaurant would not be liable.
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Megan and her friend Mitchell, pictured during their visit to Firefly restaurant. / Image: Lydia Patrick
With the whole group hungry and eager to eat at this point, orders were placed – with Megan opting for three vegan dishes from a special allergen menu in order to be extra careful.
Twenty minutes later, the group was approached by another member of staff and informed that Megan would not be served after all.
Firefly’s staff said this was due to the fact that the food had been in contact with seaweed, and she was told: “seaweed may contain fish.”
Megan felt confident that she would be fine, having eaten seaweed many times before whilst traveling around Asia, but the restaurant would not concede.
By way of apology, the staff offered her a complimentary cocktail, which she accepted, but after watching her friends enjoy their food whilst eating a Sainsbury’s meal deal herself she ultimately left feeling disappointed.
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This sour taste was not helped by the addition of a service charge on the bill, which the group of diners contested and was ultimately removed by staff.
The bill from Megan’s visit to Firefly included a service charge. / Image: Lydia Patrick
Megan said: “I was made to feel as though I was an issue, that my allergies made me a nuisance and an inconvenience to them.
“I genuinely was made to feel like I had a contagious disease and was looked down upon.”
What’s more, it does not seem that the incident at Firefly was a one-off as a number of customers have reported similar experiences.
A week after Megan’s ordeal Kay, a dental nurse from Manchester, reported having a similar experience.
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Whilst dining out with friends for a birthday celebration, the dental nurse – also a vegan – informed their server when asked that she had a mild allergy to prawns which causes her tongue to swell slightly.
She had already taken antihistamines as a precautionary measure and explained, after being asked to show her EpiPen, that her allergy is not severe enough to warrant one.
She also offered to sign a waiver taking full responsibility if she were to have a reaction after dining from the restaurant’s plant-based menu, but says this was refused by staff.
The dental nurse said: “I’ve never in all my life been treated like that. I just wanted to cry, I couldn’t sit there and watch all my friends eat. It made me feel so small.
“They even locked the door near where we were sat as if we were going to run off without paying the bill.”
Kay was given three complimentary cocktails by way of apology and managed to sneak some vegan food from her friend’s plate, but ultimately left hungry and upset by the experience.
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Reviews on the restaurant’s TripAdvisor page also point to this being a recurring issue.
Image: TripAdvisor
In a recent review, entitled ‘Horrific with Allergies’, customer Megan N writes: “Never felt so uncomfortable in a restaurant ever. They have no care for the customers, they only want to cover their own backs if something did happen.
“The processes they were following made me think that someone had died from an allergic reaction here and they couldn’t face this happening to them again.”
Firefly restaurant owner Christian Coates said in a comment: “At Firefly we care about our guests’ safety and experience whilst dining in the restaurant. As part of our procedure for any visitors with allergies we would only ever serve food if we thought it was safe to do so.
“Every allergy is different, the circumstances and risk levels are different, but we have to follow a process, so we take any allergy incredibly seriously.
“If this has been received or interpreted as a negative experience then it’s only in place to protect the well-being and safety of the customer.”
Feature image – Firefly
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Pep Guardiola delivers important reminder about multiculturalism after Jim Ratcliffe controversy
Danny Jones
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has delivered an important message about the power of multiculturalism in his most recent press conference.
Guardiola’s comments come after the high-profile controversy surrounding his rival club across the city, Man United, whose co-owner, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, saw some of his recent remarks fall under major scrutiny.
In case you somehow missed it, the Failsworth-born British billionaire was heavily criticised after claiming he believes the UK has been “colonised by immigrants”.
Fast forward a couple of days, and while the club and the fan base are still dealing with the fallout of the story, Pep acknowledged the debate by reminding people that “embracing other cultures” makes for a “better society”.
Well put, Pep – in fact, we couldn’t have said it better ourselves.
Although he didn’t reference the 74-year-old directly after being probed on the subject by journalists, the Man City boss reiterated that his time spent living and working across the world has only broadened his mind and enriched his life.
That goes for both his professional and personal spheres, by the way, as the Catalan coach has often spoken of his love for English culture and the Manc people, specifically.
Speaking ahead of this weekend’s FA Cup game against local side Salford City, Pep described the attitudes towards immigrants around the world as a “big problem” despite most people simply leaving their country in search of “a better life”.
He also drew attention to the fact that he, like so many others in football – a sporting industry loved the world round by people from all walks of life and that the likes of Ratcliffe directly benefit from – is an immigrant working and contributing to not just the game but the British economy by being here.
Meanwhile, Manchester United have since shared a public statement on their club website and across social media, reiterating to fans and supporters the world over that they are an “inclusive club”.
‘We will continue to represent our people, our city and our fans with purpose and pride.’
The INEOS chairman, CEO and minority stakeholder in Manchester United Football Club, has since apologised (at least in part) for his “choice of language” following the divisive interview with Sky News.
In a world where plenty of people are quick to pessimism, negativity and turn to division almost by default, Pep’s message is one echoed by so many and is one that we should all keep in mind.
And for anyone who needs a more light-hearted bit of content on their timeline this week, here’s what else Pep said in his pre-match presser…
Pep Guardiola responding to a really intelligent question from a reporter:
‘Do you want to be my assistant coach, fucking hell, you are brilliant…’
Featured Images — Hayters TV (screenshot via YouTube)
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Chester Zoo becomes first UK zoo to gain important international status
Danny Jones
The North West’s beloved Chester Zoo has been awarded a highly coveted global status, being named as the first international botanical garden in the entire UK.
With so many well-deserved awards, accolades and plaudits from within the world of wildlife preservation over the year, it’s no surprise.
A gem in Cheshire and the wider region’s crown, which continues to express its extreme commitment to ecological and environmental causes year in and year out, Chester Zoo is regularly ranked the best in the country and one of the top facilities in all of Europe, and now its worldwide reputation is growing too.
Taking its already sterling CV one further this year, 2026 marks the inaugural year of not only Chester Zoo existing as a recognised international botanical garden, but a big moment for Great Britain’s conservation status in general, as it’s been over 150 years since it last held the status.
Writing on social media in response to the huge honour, they wrote: “We’re officially the FIRST UK zoo recognised as a globally important botanic garden!
“We care for hundreds of rare plants, protect species at risk of extinction, and create beautiful gardens that encourage visitors to slow down and connect with nature.
“Global plant conservation organisation [Botanic Gardens Conservation International] assessed us against 22 criteria before awarding us Conservation Practitioner status – a recognition that now lets us do even more to protect native wildlife alongside our incredible conservation partners!”
Incredible stuff.
They signed off by adding that their efforts are “all made possible by YOU”, with 2025 marking an all-around groundbreaking year for the venue, as a total of 2,136,224 visitors came through the gates to surpass their previous record tally back in 2019 (2,086,785).
BGCI’s awarding of Conservation Practitioner is yet more proof of just how much work Chester Zoo does throughout the annual calendar, not least of all the incredible fundraising they do via various activations like their hugely successful charity run.
They signed off by adding that their efforts are “all made possible by YOU”, with 2025 marking an all-around groundbreaking year for the venue, as a total of 2,136,224 individuals came through the gates to surpass their previous record tally back in 2019 (2,086,785).
Speaking directly on the watershed moment, the zoo’s head of plants, Philip Esseen, said in an official press release: “This recognition shows that our plant work has real conservation value.
“We’re caring for species that are threatened with extinction in the wild, and that carries a responsibility to protect them, propagate them and share our expertise with others.
“The accreditation will help us work more closely with other horticultural and conservation organisations and increase the amount of conservation work we can do, particularly to support native species.”
Congratulations once again to Chester Zoo on such a significant achievement, and with around 10k people visiting each day – be that staff, field-expert guests or visitors – the proof is in the pudding: it really is the best in Britain doing some of the most vital work possible.
The UK has lost half of it's hedgehogs in the last 20 years, so here's 3 simple things you can do to make your garden a hedgehog haven 👇
🏡 Create a cosy hideout – piles of leaves, logs, or a hedgehog house give them a safe spot to rest Make a hedgehog highway – leave a…
Georgina Pellant -
14th March 2022 
