A woman needed surgery after an inch-long bristle in a Caffè Nero panini became lodged in her throat.
Katherine Willans, 34, ate the panini at a Putney High Street branch of the coffee store. She spent three days feeling ill with the wire in her throat before an operation in August 2014 to remove it.
Ms Willans described swallowing the inch-long wire — which came from a wire brush wrongly used to clean a grill — as an “unpleasant experience” and has been put off paninis “for life”.
A judge at Wimbledon magistrates’ court cleared the chain of breaching food hygiene regulations after hearing staff ignored strict training procedures and brought in the wire brush because they thought it was more efficient. The brushes were found at other branches, including Clapham Junction.
The court heard staff at the Putney branch brought in the brush at least a year before the incident. A number of staff said they used the brush despite knowing it was against procedure.
Jonathan Goulding, for Caffè Nero, told the court: “There is no doubt the use of the brush was and must have been a deliberate breach of training. This was regrettable but doesn’t mean Caffè Nero are criminally liable.”
District Judge James Henderson said: “Caffè Nero have made out that they did take all reasonable precautions and exercised all due diligence.”
Wandsworth council, which brought the case, said: “We felt this exposed shortcomings in the company’s procedures, but must accept the verdict.”
A Caffè Nero spokesman said: "Whilst prosecuted as a result of the injury caused to Ms Willans at their Putney store, Caffe Nero is pleased that the Court dismissed all charges against it and sees it as a vindication of its systems.
"Whilst Caffe Nero regrets the injury caused to Ms Willans the Court accepted that her injury was caused by an unknown member of staff's actions which were unauthorised and prohibited by the Company.
"Caffe Nero sells over 73 million food and drink each year without incident."
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