2023-08-17 18:14:10
Gurten Festival (BE)
Diarrhea epidemic and closed stand: the manager asks for compensation
Festival organizers shut down a food stall in July. The landlady claims nearly 200,000 francs.
PostedAugust 17, 2023, 8:14 PM
The Gurten festival in Bern celebrated its 40th edition this year.
Tamedia AG
During the 40th edition of the Gurten festival, on the heights of Bern in July, a tarpaulin welcomed customers who wanted to go to a food stand from Saturday. It read that all the meals had already been served and that the tenants had underestimated the demand. This explanation was however false, we learn Thursday in the “Berner Zeitung”. The festival organizers say they chose this formulation to preserve the restaurant owner’s reputation and avoid creating panic in the festival.
In reality, the stand in question was closed by Gurten officials because a dozen people complained of suffering from diarrhea after eating there. Behind the scenes, this apparently anecdotal episode has still not been settled because the saleswoman had to give up on the turnover of two days of the festival.
No health hazard
The organization speaks of “credible” reports and estimates that in this kind of situation, the number of real cases is probably ten times higher than what has been announced. The closure was taken “as a precaution and concern for quality” after consultation with all parties, assure those responsible for the event. According to them, the consequences were certainly unpleasant, but not dangerous for health.
But the operator of the stand is determined to obtain compensation. She says there is no evidence to support that her food was the cause of the inconvenience. The hygiene inspection carried out a check on the Thursday of the festival and authorized the stand to continue selling its products. An analysis of the food carried out after the festival also did not detect any irregularity.
The opposing party replies that the control, if it did not reveal any serious shortcomings, had pointed out some improvements to be made and that it was not proven that the sample analyzed came from the food sold during the festival. The restaurateur is claiming 190,000 francs in damages from the Gurten festival, which she would like to obtain following an amicable agreement. A sum deemed exaggerated by the organization. It is not yet known whether this case will be followed up in court.
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