A British tourist died from an allergic reaction after consuming hot chocolate and a churro at a cafe in Buenos Aires, an inquest has heard.
Harry James Kitto, 24, was 'repeatedly reassured' his food did not contain nuts when he arrived at the popular destination, Café Tortoni, in November 2025.
He had been travelling across South America with his girlfriend Naomi, visiting Mexico, Guatemala and Peru, before arriving in Argentina.
After checking into their accommodation, the couple made their way to the cafe where they sat down and ordered their food.
They asked staff in Spanish whether the churros contained peanuts, due to Mr Kitto's severe intolerance, and ate one after being told they did not.
However, Mr Kitto, who described himself as a barber and photographer on social media, soon began to feel unwell and felt as though he was having a reaction – prompting his girlfriend to ask staff to confirm whether the dish contained nuts.
The couple were told again that it did not – and after ordering a second churro, Mr Kitto started to feel seriously unwell again.
His girlfriend advised him to make himself sick to get the food out but he reported feeling slightly better, the inquest in Truro heard today.
Harry James Kitto (pictured), 24, was 'repeatedly reassured' his food did not contain nuts when he arrived at the popular destination, Café Tortoni, in November 2025
He had been travelling across South America with his girlfriend Naomi, visiting Mexico, Guatemala and Peru, before arriving in Argentina
Mr Kitto, who described himself as a barber and photographer on social media, soon began to feel unwell after consuming food in a cafe and felt as though he was having a reaction
The couple took the underground back to their accommodation where Mr Kitto's EpiPen was – a medical device that delivers a rapid dose of epinephrine (adrenaline) to treat life-threatening severe allergic reactions.
But as they arrived at the metro station Mr Kitto began having difficulties breathing. His girlfriend rushed to retrieve his EpiPen but as she returned to administer it, she found Mr Kitto unconscious on the ground surrounded by people.
An ambulance was called and arrived around ten minutes later and Mr Kitto was given adrenaline but his heart stopped as they reached the hospital.
Paramedics managed to resuscitate Mr Kitto and he was put on a ventilation machine. However, the inquest heard how, despite staff's best efforts at the Hospital Ramos Mejia in Buenos Aires, Mr Kitto's brain was found to be irreversibly damaged.
His life support machine was switched off and he passed away surrounded by his family on November 7, 2025.
At the time of his death his family said their hearts had been 'broken beyond words', adding: 'For over a week, Harry showed extraordinary strength and determination - the same strength that made everyone who knew him so proud.
'Harry was 24 years old - kind, adventurous, funny, and full of life. He had been travelling through South America and was just days away from returning home when tragedy struck.
'Harry fought so hard, and we have never been prouder of him. He was brave, strong, and full of love until the very end.'
'Harry was 24 years old - kind, adventurous, funny, and full of life. He had been travelling through South America and was just days away from returning home when tragedy struck', his family said
Mr Kitto had been posting photos from his trip on his Instagram and TikTok account, with snaps showing him on the Salkantay trek and reaching Machu Picchu in Peru.
A GoFundMe set up to repatriate his body raised nearly £57,000 in one day and has since amassed more than £70,000 in donations.
Mr Kitto's grieving parents, Leigh Kitto and Kerry Burt, had both posted tributes on Facebook as they announced his death.
Leigh Kitto wrote: 'Sadly our son Harry passed away in Argentina doing what he loves most.
'Please can I ask that you take the time to read about Harry and his cause in the link below and any contribution, no matter how small, would be greatly appreciated.
'Love you son, until we meet again.'
Ms Burt said she was 'heartbroken' - adding the family would 'face the unimaginable task of bringing him home'.
GoFundMe organiser Jay Wicks later confirmed Mr Kitto's body had arrived back in Cornwall on December 1.
He said any remaining funds raised, following the repatriation, would be donated to the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation.
The inquest heard how Harry's father and brother went to the same Café Tortoni a few days later and ordered the same dish the Truro-born man and his girlfriend had eaten.
Again they asked the staff if the churro and hot chocolate contained any peanuts and were told it did not. However, when they took a sample to a lab to be tested, the churro was found to contain 20mg of peanut protein per kilo.
Assistant coroner for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Emma Hillson concluded it was more likely than not that it was the peanut proteins in the churro which led Mr Kitto to suffer an anaphylactic shock and later respiratory depression and unsurvivable brain damage.
Ms Hillson concluded an accidental death.