WIDOW SUES ARTISAN CHEESEMAKER FOR £200,000 OVER HUSBAND'S DEATH

The widow of West Sussex painter Roger Parkes is suing artisan cheesemakers The Old Cheese Room for more than £200,000 following her husband's death in February 2023. Carina Parkes purchased a Valentine's Day gift box of cheeses from the Wiltshire-based company, which included a 'Baronet' Reblochon. Roger Parkes became seriously ill and died shortly after consuming the cheese. A subsequent inquest determined the cause of death was multiple organ failure and meningitis linked to a listeria infection.

The Old Cheese Room, based at Neston Park Home Farm in Corsham, Wiltshire, is run by master cheesemaker Julianna Sedli and her husband Karim Niazy. The company issued a product recall on its 'Baronet' Reblochon following Parkes's death. The Baronet is a semi-soft cheese made from organic Jersey milk, described as having a buttery taste and a washed rind. The Old Cheese Room acknowledges that the cheese Roger Parkes consumed was infected with listeria bacteria, but denies responsibility for his death, citing pre-existing serious health conditions.

Carina Parkes's legal claim against The Old Cheese Room Ltd seeks compensation in excess of £200,000. The case places the question of causation at its centre, with the company contesting the link between the contaminated product and Roger Parkes's death. The Old Cheese Room is an award-winning business that specialises in cheeses produced using milk from its herd of organic Jersey cows. The legal proceedings are ongoing.