Millions of doner kebab lovers who thought they were eating lamb were instead getting skin, fat, and goat, with some meals showing less than 10% sheep content. Kismet Kebabs, one of the UK's largest doner kebab makers, sold its products to fast food outlets across the country for years, advertising them as 70% lamb, according to the BBC.
Trading Standards Investigation Uncovers Fraud
Concerns were raised when trading standards officers in Swansea began conducting random DNA tests on doner meat in the city in 2020 and 2021. Kebabs that were supposed to be 70% lamb came back showing less than 10% sheep. Essex-based Kismet Kebabs was fined £500,000 after admitting to fraud dating back to 2021. The firm, estimated to have made £6 million from the fraud, said the offences related to historical events that happened over five years ago when they operated under a different leadership structure.
Directors Admit Fraud by False Representation
Kismet Kebabs Ltd directors Panayiotis Vasilis Michael and Djemal Enver admitted one count of fraud by false representation. Swansea trading standards officer Rhys Harries said: “I think some customers won’t be surprised there’s a lot of skin and fat in these products – but I don’t think many people will be expecting goat. A consumer buying a kebab knows it’s probably not the best quality ingredients, but it’s still got to be what it says it is.”
Factory Raid Reveals No Lamb Being Delivered
Investigators raided the Kismet factory in May 2021 to find out what was in the kebabs, as takeaways thought they were buying lamb as advertised on the package. Mr Harries said as soon as investigators visited their premises in Latchingdon, near Chelmsford, it became clear that no lamb was being delivered to the factory. He said: “We didn’t see any lamb apart from lamb fat. There were pallets of goat, pallets of trim, offcuts with high fat content, boxes of fat, boxes of skin, bits of mutton. It all goes into a massive mincer and comes out looking like Play-Doh.”
Court Proceedings and Sentencing
Swansea Crown Court heard from Kismet Kebab’s defence lawyer, Stuart Jessop, that the firm had made little financial gain from the fraud. But Judge Huw Rees said the firm had engaged in considerable dishonesty over a prolonged period of time. They were ordered to pay £259,298 in costs.
