Court of Appeal quashes immediate custodial sentence after sentencing judge had suggested it might be suspended if defendant pleaded guilty
August 25, 2026
Restaurateur Kunal Soni has been convicted of misinforming customers following a prosecution by Hertfordshire County Council Trading Standards.
Mr Soni ran a restaurant in Watford (which he has now sold) which claimed to specialise in exotic meat products, including crocodile, kangaroo, ostrich and springbok. However, when two trading standards officers carried out tests on the zebra and wildebeest dishes it transpired that the meat was in fact horsemeat and venison respectively. This was also reflected on notes of orders found in the kitchen which were marked ‘horse and chips’ and ‘venison, chips and salad’. An inspection of the kitchen a month later identified 22kg of horsemeat in the freezer, despite horsemeat not being on the menu.
Mr Soni admitted misinforming customers. St Albans Magistrates’ Court imposed a one year conditional discharge and ordered that he pay costs in the sum of £3,861.
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