Soho House's Shoreditch Club Faces Council Probe After Whistleblower Alleges Rats and Relabelled Food

Hackney Council has launched an investigation into food safety and hygiene at Shoreditch House, a private members' club operated by the upmarket hospitality group Soho House, following allegations from a former employee about rodents on site and the relabelling of unsold food.

The council confirmed it had received a report raising concerns about conditions at the east London venue and had opened a formal investigation into the matter. The probe places one of the capital's best-known members' clubs under official scrutiny at a time when Soho House is already under pressure over its finances and its carefully cultivated reputation for exclusivity.

The allegations originate from Kamran Khan, a 30-year-old who worked at Shoreditch House on a probationary contract and who first raised concerns internally before taking them to the local authority. Khan told BBC News that he was instructed to replace date labels on prepared food that had not been sold by the end of the day, a practice he said he was told to keep up on his own initiative.

He described being warned during a probation meeting that failing to continue the practice would be treated as a performance concern. Khan said he ultimately felt he had no choice but to speak out, citing the number of children and pregnant women who frequent the restaurant. "I told them that I don't want to be held personally liable for anyone that gets injured," he said.

Under UK law, food served in a restaurant must carry accurate labelling, including best-before or use-by dates. Removing or altering those dates can obscure how long an item has been kept and expose diners to a heightened risk of foodborne illness. For a business whose brand rests on premium service, any suggestion of lapses in that area carries particular reputational weight.

Khan also alleged that rats had been present at the venue for an extended period and that cleaning staff were required to check for rat droppings on a daily basis. Soho House declined to comment specifically on the rodent claim, leaving that element of his account without a direct response from the company.

The timeline of events, according to the former employee, began with an informal complaint about the relabelling practice. He then filed a formal grievance with Soho House in July while still on probation. The company investigated and, on 24 August, told him there was evidence supporting his claim and that steps were being taken to address the issue.

Khan said the practice nevertheless continued despite those assurances, prompting him to escalate the matter to Hackney Council rather than pursue it further within the company. His contract was terminated in September, roughly two months after he first raised concerns. Soho House has stated firmly that the dismissal was unrelated to his complaints about food labelling.

In response to the allegations, a Soho House spokesperson apologised and said the situation did not reflect how the company expects its clubs to operate, adding that relabelling unsold food is not company policy. The group said it had commissioned an external, independent investigation and audit and reiterated that delivering the highest standards of food safety for members and guests is a priority.

Shoreditch House is one of ten Soho House locations in London and occupies an unmarked corner building in the city's East End. The wider group opened its first club in the capital in 1995 and has since expanded to 46 houses across Europe, North America and Asia, alongside a collection of other upmarket hospitality ventures.

Membership does not come cheap: standard fees start at £291.67 per month, with a reduced rate of £204.17 for those under 27. The clubs have long functioned as a magnet for celebrities, with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reportedly having their first date at one of the London venues, a detail that has helped cement the brand's association with A-list glamour.

That glittering image has been tested in recent years. Soho House listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2021 but saw its share price fall sharply afterwards as it struggled to turn a profit and faced accusations that it was losing the sense of exclusivity that originally defined it. Last year the company was acquired by a consortium of investors in a deal valued at around £2bn, with actor Ashton Kutcher joining its board.

The council investigation now adds a regulatory dimension to the group's challenges. Local authorities in the UK are responsible for enforcing food hygiene regulations and can inspect premises, issue improvement notices, or in serious cases prosecute. The outcome of the Hackney probe will depend on what inspectors find, and no findings have yet been made public.

For Soho House, the episode raises questions about how internal complaints are handled within its clubs and whether staff feel able to report concerns without fear of consequences. The company maintains that the dismissal was unrelated to the allegations and that it acted on the grievance by launching an independent review.

Members and prospective members will be watching closely. The value of a private club rests partly on trust, and allegations involving food safety cut directly at that trust, however isolated the company says the incident was. Hackney Council's investigation is expected to clarify what, if anything, went wrong at Shoreditch House.