London bars shun Margot Robbie’s gin over shellfish allergen concerns
Margot Robbie said she “couldn’t wait” to see the artisan gin brand she had created stocked in her London local,But the willingness of the capital’s venues to fulfil her dream has been seriously compromised by three words on the side of the bottle – “warning: contains molluscs”,The Wuthering Heights star has had to change the recipe of her spirit after top London bars and restaurants rejected it due to allergen concerns, the Guardian can reveal,The drink, Papa Salt, is filtered through oyster shells, which she hoped would evoke the sandy dunes of Australia where she grew up,It means people with a shellfish allergy are advised not to drink it, because though the distilling process of gin removes most shellfish proteins, some can still remain when it is made with oysters.
This is particularly of concern for those with severe allergies,Reactions to shellfish include anaphylaxis, which can be fatal,London venues said that Robbie and her husband, Tom Ackerley, had in recent months been visiting personally to try to charm them into selling the gin, but they had been rebuffed,“In order to stock her gin, we would have to train all our staff to ask guests if they have a shellfish allergy when they ordered a G&T,” said one bar owner who had been approached by Robbie,“It is simply not worth the time or the risk.
”A restaurant manager said: “We are dealing with enough at the moment, it is a tough time for restaurants, we don’t want to have to ask people if they are allergic to molluscs when they order a gin,”A spokesperson for Robbie confirmed the gin was being reformulated after feedback, with an oyster-free version expected to reach the UK market by the end of 2026,The gin is still being marketed as featuring “Australian botanicals like wattleseed, wax flower, and oyster shell”,Robbie’s spokesperson said it was standard practice for gin vendors to pay visits to potential major clients, and that the actor loved to visit the bars and restaurants that may sell her gin,They said Robbie has been heavily involved in the recipe process and that in removing the shells she was acting on feedback from London restaurateurs.
Robbie launched Papa Salt gin in the UK in 2024 and has had it stocked in Harvey Nichols and Waitrose, which warn of the allergen.She has said: “Our love of gin was born in London’s pubs and bars and we still spend so much time in London.We can’t wait to see Papa Salt on the back bar at our local.”Greg Dillon, a spirits expert who runs the Great Drams website, said he understood why hospitality venues would be reluctant to sell her gin when there were so many other options available that do not carry an allergy risk.He told the Guardian: “Even a tiny risk like this, with the training required and potential for reactions, feels like a challenge for a brand to overcome, even though the bottle itself is beautiful.
If a product raises even a small allergen question, staff would need to ask guests about shellfish allergies, which many venues may see as an unnecessary complication when most gins do not carry that issue.”Papa Salt is claimed to be flavoured with oyster shells, to evoke the seaside of Australia where Robbie grew up.But Dillon said the shells did not add much flavour to a spirit.“Oyster shells are mostly calcium carbonate.When crushed and used for filtration they can slightly soften a spirit by interacting with acids and impurities.
In practice the effect on flavour is minimal,” he said.“Techniques like this often serve more as brand story than a defining flavour step.”Richard Legg, a spirits consultant who runs the company Distilled Knowledge, said: “Most spirits are actually free from declarable allergens, as UK food regulations, namely the food information regulations 2014, do give exemptions for distillates (such as cereals or nuts) or where low levels are present such as sulphites.So most spirits, even those made from cereals containing gluten for example, are free from declaring allergens.“However, there is no such exemption for distillates of molluscs, where oysters being used as a gin botanical would sit.
Even though just shells are being used, it would be very difficult to ensure all potential allergens are removed, so would need to be declared.”A spokesperson for Papa Salt said: “A core part of the Papa Salt ethos centres on the founders regularly supporting the hospitality industry in London and around the UK and seeing their gin in the places they love to spend their time.As a result, they have received this feedback directly themselves.“This kind of feedback is vital to the growth of the brand and that’s why in 2025 Papa Salt made the decision to remove oyster shell from the botanical mix completely, starting first in the Australian market, with that transition due to be complete in the UK before the end of this year.”Many celebrities have decided to launch spirits brands in order to cash in on fame when not making movies.
George Clooney’s Casamigos tequila was sold to Diageo in 2017 for $1bn (£760m), and Brad Pitt launched a gin in 2023.The Harry Potter star Emma Watson has also launched a gin brand, as has the rapper Snoop Dogg.
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