Campaigning parents to be honoured after death of daughter who ate Pret baguette

Tanya and Nadim Ednan-Laperouse campaigned for the change in the law following 15-year-old Natasha’s fatal allergic reaction.

Nadim and Tanya Ednan-Laperouse are to be honoured for their campaigning efforts on food allergies (Stefan Rousseau/PA) (PA Archive)

The parents of a teenager who died from an allergic reaction after eating a baguette are to receive a royal honour for their campaigning efforts in the wake of her death.

Tanya and Nadim Ednan-Laperouse set up the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation in memory of their 15-year-old daughter.

The bereaved parents campaigned for the change in the law after a food labelling loophole – which left Natasha unaware that the baguette she ate contained hidden sesame seeds – was highlighted at the 2018 inquest into her death.

Natasha died on July 17 2016 after eating a Pret a Manger artichoke, olive and tapenade baguette before boarding a flight at Heathrow airport to Nice with her father and best friend.

The coroner concluded that Natasha would not have eaten the baguette if the seeds – to which she was severely allergic – had been included on the label.

Natasha’s Law came into force across the UK in October, and requires all food retailers to display full ingredient and allergen labelling on every food item made on the premises and pre-packed for direct sale – including sandwiches, cakes and salads.

Mr and Mrs Ednan-Laperouse will receive an OBE for services to people with allergies, during an investiture hosted by the Duke of Cambridge.

Meanwhile, actor Sir David Suchet is to be knighted for services to drama and charity at Windsor Castle on Tuesday, having missed out on receiving his honour in December due to testing positive for coronavirus.

The 75-year-old is best known for playing the moustachioed detective Hercule Poirot in the TV series Agatha Christie’s Poirot.

Ahead of his original date for receiving his knighthood, Sir David had expressed his excitement after collecting a suit for the event.

In a tweet in December, he wrote: “Well! I have just picked up my morning suit for my Knighthood investiture at Windsor Castle tomorrow!!! I still think I am dreaming!!”

His knighthood, announced in October 2020 as part of the Queen’s Birthday Honours list, comes after a career spanning more than 50 years.

Born in London in 1946, he joined the National Youth Theatre at 16 and later trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (Lamda).

He portrayed Sigmund Freud in the BBC mini-series Freud in 1984 before he first appeared as Poirot on ITV in 1989 and received international acclaim, reprising the role for more than 70 episodes until 2013.

His interpretation of the Belgian super-sleuth is considered by many to be the definitive one. In his book, Poirot And Me, he mentions that Sir Peter Ustinov, who also famously played the detective, once told him he would be good at taking on the role.

Sir David was made a CBE in 2011 for services to drama.

Another actor to be recognised at Tuesday’s ceremony is Arinze Kene, who is made an MBE for services to drama and screenwriting.

Mr Kene is starring as musician Bob Marley in the West End musical Get Up, Stand Up, and gained widespread critical acclaim for his autobiographical one-man play Misty.

Henry Lewis, a 102-year-old magician who is an honorary vice president of The Magic Circle, is to be made an MBE for services to fundraising and charitable causes.

Mr Lewis started out in magic as a youngster in Hackney, east London, after finding a magic book in a pile of rubbish and went on to perform all over the world, according to a Facebook post from the assisted-living facility where he lives.