A chef had an allergic reaction after clearing up after a family who had taken their own food into an Ipswich play centre - and now the owner is urging others not to bring picnics in.
Yazmin Mayer, who owns Yaya's House in Hintlesham, said the chef, who is allergic to nuts, picked up a Nutella sandwich as she was clearing up the cafe area at the play centre. The reaction left the chef needing medical support and she is still off work recovering.
Miss Mayer said: "We do not allow any food or drink which isn't purchased from Yaya's House Cafe to be consumed on our premises.
"Firstly, yes, we are a play centre. However, a huge amount of our income does come from the cafe premises which is on sites. Everything is made in the kitchen and we do this so we can control every allergen that is inside our snack and meals."
Despite this rule being in place, the sandwich had been brought in by one of the customers and discarded.
In post on the Yaya's House Facebook page Miss Mayer said she is now adopting a "zero tolerance policy" to the rules following the "terrifying" incident and said: "It has been a recurring thing and I just can't put anyone in danger.
"A huge amount of children from zero to seven have an intolerance or an allergy to lots of things, it is generally dairy, gluten or nuts.
"We do sell products with nuts in it but whoever we sell them to knows exactly what it is inside them. The same with the chef, she knows what has nuts in so when she goes to clean up she wouldn't touch them."
She added: "Anything with allergens in is labelled and kept separate in air tight containers, everything is all made in-house by us.
"As soon as someone brings something from an outside source we can't control it."
Water bottles and milk for babies will still be allowed at Yaya's House and anyone with a specific medical requirement should contact staff before visiting to make arrangements.
Miss Mayer added: "I don't want anyone to ever feel they can't eat here, or feel safe and comfortable here, as that is kind of the whole reason I have made this place.
"The chef is fine now, I just had to put it out there."
As well as highlighting the dangers of allergies for her staff and customers, Miss Mayer is also concerned after she found two whole grapes on the floor inside the main play town at Yaya's House.
She said in her Facebook post: "We do sell grapes at Yaya's House but these are prepared correctly, cut into quarters.
"We have lots of children that are crawling around, lots of pre-school ages. Things happen and the idea of a child picking up a grape that hasn't been cut at all is just terrifying."
You can read the full post from Miss Mayer here, on the Yaya's house Facebook page.
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