A Welsh woman named Karen Hopkins – not a relative of the especially unctuous Katie Hopkins one can likely assume – choked to death at the ultimate provider of food hell, a Brewers Fayre, after overindulging on what can frankly only be described as the meal choice of Beelzebub, a mixed grill.
Poor unfortunate Hopkins and her daughter, Rhianno Evans, had ordered a £13.79 meal at the so-called ‘restaurant’ in Ebbw Vale in Blaenau Gwent. It consisted of a mixed grill of a 4oz rump steak, half a gammon steak, two fried eggs, half a chicken breast, two pork sausages, chips, onion rings, half a grilled tomato and garden peas.
The result? According to Ms Evans: ‘[My mother] was unable to speak because she was choking, so I slapped her back… Some frothy brown liquid came out… She said: ‘I’m going, I’m going’ before collapsing to the floor unresponsive.”
Two stories to keep beside you
The Death of The Boozer
Matthew Steeples visits the Belgravia pub The Plumbers Arms and decries the death of the traditional British boozer Last Wednesday, I happened to have to meet someone in Lower Belgrave Street, SW1 and since I was early, I thought it appropriate – given the death the previous night of the Dowager Countess of Lucan […]
The death of the society restaurant
As Swifty’s in New York closes, Matthew Steeples laments the loss of ‘society restaurants’ in London also
Ms Hopkins was sadly subsequently pronounced dead at the scene and now provides a lesson to us all – Mixed grill at your very own peril.
Five other curious (non-mixed grill) deaths by food and drink:
Alan MacDonald – March 2010
This 61-year-old retired banker turned party crasher went uninvited to Kuwait’s national day party at the Dorchester. He took a bite of a canapé, “fell to the floor and later died in hospital.
King Adolf Frederick of Sweden – 12th February 1771
A royal who became known for eating himself to death, King Adolf Frederick consumed lobster, caviar, sauerkraut and kippers. He washed the lot down with champagne and then followed with 14 servings of semla with hot milk. He then keeled over and that was that.
Basil Brown – 1974
This health advocate died after drinking 10 gallons of carrot juice in 10 days. He had consumed 10,000 times the recommended daily allowance of Vitamin A.
Brian Ettles – 2012
Glenfiddich Distillery employee Brian Ettles decided to throw himself into a 50,000 litre whisky vat. He literally drowned in the “water of life” but no mention is made as what they did with the leftovers.
Unnamed dinner lady – 1990
In 1990 in Lancashire, a school dinner lady went into a deep freezer without telling her colleagues. The door slammed behind her and sadly the emergency unlocking system failed. She was found the next day amongst rather a lot of Birdseye fish fingers.
Facebook: @TheSteepleTimes
Instagram: @TheSteepleTimes
Twitter: @SteepleTimes
Readers have their say
4 comments
What a revolting final meal.
Her greed got the better of her.
So it seems even the professionals can full victim to the love of their craft. RIP
She was never going to die of starvation looking at her