Daily Mail reporters examining mystery lunch items sold in off licences and convenience stores across London found a surprising number of unlabelled or vaguely branded products from suppliers operating with little public presence and almost no online footprint.

During the investigation, a visit to a branch of Premier on Leytonstone High Street resulted in the purchase of an unappetising cheese and red onion pitta priced at three pounds. The item, like many others lining the shelves, came from HSA Foods Ltd, a manufacturer that appears to have established itself as a major provider of ready to eat lunches in small shops.

When the pitta was opened back at the office, the pungent odour of its thick gloopy filling caused reporters to gag, with no one willing to attempt a bite of the densely stuffed sandwich. At Express Food Centre further down the same road, investigators bought one of the supplier’s chicken biryani meals presented in a plastic takeaway style tub. Despite its appealing price of three pounds seventy five, the dish contained only four small pieces of chicken and a forgotten chilli stem mixed into the rice.

Products from the supplier appeared in almost every corner shop visited, suggesting the company has cornered the market for quick lunch items in small independent stores. Established in 2010, the firm produces a range of sandwiches, pittas and prepared meals from its base at Drury Lane Industrial Estate in west London. When reporters travelled to the site to request comment, they found the exterior grounds cluttered and lacking cleanliness, an environment that did not inspire confidence in the standards expected of a food preparation facility. According to publicly available records, Liaqat Mehmood is listed as director and Hadia Mehmood appears as factory manager online.

Until 2024, the firm was exempt from Food Standards Agency hygiene inspections because it did not supply directly to consumers. Once inspections became mandatory, the company secured three five star ratings in March and May 2024, with another awarded in December 2025. Despite this, the business maintains no official website or social media presence, providing little transparency for shoppers hoping to verify where their lunch is being made.

Attempts by reporters to contact the firm for comment were unsuccessful. Another supplier encountered during the investigation, Summit Foods, also raised concerns due to the absence of any available hygiene ratings, likely because it does not sell directly to consumers. Reviews online paint an unflattering picture, with some customers claiming their sandwiches tasted stale or sour, and one reporting they had to discard an egg mayonnaise sandwich that tasted very sour and bitter despite appearing to be in date.

Public reaction to the findings has been swift and blunt. One person said,

“Anyone buying butties, bites, wraps, or anything like that from the local corner shop needs stopping at all cost”.

Another wrote,

“I always wondered who bought these stuff…they keep selling it, someone must be buying it…the worst is when they have the nerve to leave the cakes, pastries and doughnuts uncovered in corner ships like they are Gails or some other middle class bakery when it smells like fart in there and hundreds of people are walking past it all day, everyday.”

In response to rising concerns about unregulated and poorly presented food items on sale in small shops, the government has reiterated its commitment to ensuring only safe food reaches consumers. Authorities say they are working with local councils to increase spot checks, strengthen enforcement powers and close loopholes that allow manufacturers supplying corner stores to operate with limited oversight. As scrutiny intensifies, regulators emphasise that improving transparency and consistency across food production remains a priority to protect public health in every community.