A veteran sous chef at Tom Kerridge's Fish and Chips in Harrods has lost a legal battle regarding his dismissal. While Giresse Mbala was awarded funds for a notice period error, an employment tribunal upheld his firing over significant food safety failures.
The £700 lobster and scallop failure
Giresse Mbala, a veteran sous chef, left 10kg of lobster and 150 scallops to spoil without refrigeration during a summer month at Harrods. This incident, involving nearly £700 worth of seafood, formed the core of an employment tribunal case. According to the report, the misconduct occurred at Tom Kerridge's Fish and Chips, a high-end establishment located within the London department store.
The tribunal found that Mbala's failure to properly store the seafood posed "real risks to public health." This specific negligence was the primary reason the court determined that Harrods was justified in terminating his employment, despite his long history with the company.
A pattern of errors from Valentine's Day to August 2024
A series of food safety lapses in early 2024 set the stage for Mbala's eventual dismissal. During the Valentine's Day rush, food safety staff discovered improperly defrosted Dover Sole and unlabeled scallops, which the source notes were part of a broader pattern of hygiene concerns. Mbala argued that the kitchen was understaffed, running with only three staff members instead of the standard five during the busy shift.
The dismissal followed a formal warning issued in August 2024 regarding these hygiene issues. As reported by the source, the subsequent failure to process monkfish and lobster orders just one month later made his continued employment untenable for the Harrods management team.
The £4,024 payout for a notice period error
While the tribunal upheld the dismissal, Harrods was found to have made a procedural error regarding Mbala's departure. The court ruled that the department store failed to provide the full 12-week notice period Mbala was entitled to, instead offering only eight weeks. Consequently, Employment Judge Judith Richter awarded the former sous chef £4,024 for wrongful dismissal.
Despite this financial award, the judge made it clear that the underlying misconduct was valid. The ruling emphasized that the handling of food items presented genuine risks to public health, which justified the categorization of his actions as misconduct under the company's behavior policy.
The high-priced controversy of Tom Kerridge's Harrods restaurant
Tom Kerridge's Fish and Chips was known for its controversial pricing before its permanent closure in August 2025. The establishment famously charged £37 for a plate of fish with as few as eight chips. This high-end model, which Tom Kerridge defended by comparing the meal to a luxury supercar , eventually saw its celebrity ties with Gordon Ramsay and Masayoshi Takayama severed by Harrods.
The restaurant's closure marked the end of a specific era of celebrity-led dining within the Knightsbridge landmark. The tension between high-pressure, high-cost service and strict health protocols was a recurring theme throughout the legal proceedings.
Did Chef de Cuisine Luke Truelove cross the line?
Allegations of workplace bullying have raised questions about the management style of Chef de Cuisine Luke Truelove. mbala testified that Truelove acted as a "bully" and shouted at him in front of customers, an experience the cook described as being treated "like a young boy."
The tribunal heard that Truelove shared some responsibility for failing to properly book in the seafood, yet the court ultimately decided that Harrods' senior leadership acted in good faith. it remains an open question whether the alleged bullying was an isolated incident or a systemic issue within the kitchen's high-pressure environment.
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