A Cardiff-based food truck is being investigated as a possible cause of a "potential food poisoning outbreak" at a music festival. Festival organisers shut down the food truck after people reported falling ill after eating its meals.
Posts shared on social media documented dozens of people who reported falling ill after eating food from the Yorky Roast stall at Truck Festival at the end of July. The Yorky Roast stall is operated by Cardiff-based company Event Mobile Catering Limited (EMC).
Investigation underway
Cardiff Council said Shared Regulatory Services, which oversees food hygiene and trading standards, is "actively looking into the matter". EMC has not responded to request for comment. The company's website states the "family-run business" has previously provided vendors for Silverstone and Glastonbury as well as events at the Principality Stadium.
The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) has now issued advice to firms in a bid to prevent further outbreaks at festivals this summer.
Festival response
A spokesperson for Truck Festival, a music event held in Oxfordshire attended by 27,500 people, said it had closed the stall in question on Sunday, July 26, within 90 minutes of being notified of concerns by onsite medical teams.
A number of festival-goers reported becoming unwell after eating from Yorky Roast stall. One claimed in a post on social media they had been forced to leave the festival early after feeling "so poorly" after eating food from the vendor. Sharing their experience on the same thread, another person claimed they had "got the worst food poisoning of my life" from the stall and had to go home early, adding that they were "still gutted".
Impact on attendees
Another said "Sunday became a complete write off" after eating at the stall on Saturday, adding: "[I] missed a lot of my favourite bands because of it."
A spokesperson for Truck Festival said its health and safety team launched an "immediate investigation" after the "on-site medical team received reports from a number of attendees with similar symptoms". "It identified a third-party food vendor as the suspected source," they added. "That vendor was removed from operation within 90 minutes of the first report. We reported our findings to the local environmental health officer the same day and are supporting their ongoing investigation into the cause. We share the disappointment and frustration of those whose weekend was affected."
Official statements
A Cardiff Council spokesperson said: “Shared Regulatory Services is actively looking into this matter and is liaising closely with the relevant enforcement authority. As this is an ongoing investigation, we are unable to comment further or provide additional details at this time.”
A spokesperson for Vale of White Horse District Council, the local council where the festival was held, said it was "aware of a potential food poisoning outbreak at Truck Festival". "Truck Festival reported the issue to us and said that a number of festival goers reported the food poisoning symptoms to the medical tent. From this, after some investigations, they were able to quickly identify a potential source and Truck Festival closed the stand. We are investigating the issue and are working with the food business, Truck Festival, UKHSA and the trader's own local registering authority."
Advice from environmental health experts
Hannah Ward, a member of the CIEH, said the case highlighted the importance of maintaining the highest standards of food hygiene and temperature control at festivals and other events, and she said operators needed to ensure suitable systems are in place to manage risks. She also reminded festival-goers to wash their hands regularly with soap and water and sanitise their hands before eating.
Truck Festival took place at Hill Farm in Steventon from July 24 to July 26, with indie bands The Maccabees, Two Door Cinema Club and The Wombats all headlining over the weekend.
