Chef burned by boiling stock sues Tom Kerridge's pub for £150,000

A former chef at Tom Kerridge's two-Michelin-starred gastropub is suing for £150,000 after he was burned by boiling stock during a kitchen accident.

Andrew Lewis, 28, was working at the TV chef's lauded Hand & Flowers when a kitchen urn exploded in the back kitchen.

Lewis suffered scalds across more than a third of his body, leaving him permanently scarred, suffering flashbacks and mentally traumatised.

He is now suing the Hand & Flowers Ltd, of West Street, Marlow, Bucks, and IPM Catering Ltd, of Kettering, Northants, the company responsible for servicing the stock boiling urn, claiming up to £150,000 compensation.

Lewis’ barrister Simon Brindle set out in court filings how he had been working at the Hand & Flowers as a demi chef de partie for just over a year when he was injured on 24 October 2018.

During his shift, he was responsible for "setting up and switching on" the stock boiler in the gastropub's back kitchen.

"Water, vegetables and/or meat (the stock) is placed inside the drum, the machine is switched on and then, once ready, the stock is extracted from the stock boiler via the tap,” explained Brindle.

“The stock inside is heated under pressure, resulting in the temperature of the water exceeding 100 degrees.”

He set out that Lewis noticed a leak which he cleared up, and attempted to fix it by tightening the tap.

"To do so he crouched down in front of the tap. Unfortunately, as he was trying to tighten the tap, it suddenly came away from the stock boiler, causing pressurised, boiling stock water to be ejected from it and over him,” he wrote.

"As a result of the accident, the claimant suffered 34% partial thickness burns to his left chest, abdomen, left forearm, right forearm and both legs, feet, and ankles. He required emergency hospital admission.”

Lewis said he was effectively exposed to a "trap" and either the Hand & Flowers Ltd or IPM Catering Ltd was negligent in "failing to ensure he was adequately protected from the risk of burn and scald created by the unintended ejection of the stock".

According to documents lodged with London's High Court, the companies blame each other for the incident.

Lewis’ case is that an IPM maintenance engineer failed to secure the tap properly after servicing it. IPM denies the claim and contends that an employee at the Hand & Flowers was responsible for the tap being loose.

Brindle said Lewis, "has been left with extensive scarring and discolouration on his right leg, left leg, chest, abdomen and both hands," which "represents a permanent cosmetic disfigurement".

The court has been told that he has returned to work as head chef at a different restaurant but has suffered delayed post-traumatic stress disorder.

"[He] finds that he experiences significant pain in his legs at the end of the working day," said Brindle.

"At present, he is able to work through the pain and it is hoped that it will improve with time. However, there is a risk that ongoing symptoms may prove intrusive and interfere with the claimant’s earning capacity, particularly if symptoms do not improve and as the claimant ages.

"Accordingly, and in any event, the claimant claims lump sum damages for the risk that he will suffer a loss of earnings in the future, as a result of his injuries," he adds.

The defence to the action of both defendants was not available from the court.