London bars shun Margot Robbie’s gin over shellfish allergen concerns

Exclusive: actor’s Papa Salt gin to get oyster-free version after venues says it is ‘not worth the risk’ 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, uses oyster shells as a botanical, 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 h