The owner of a vegetarian restaurant was today condemned for “appalling animal cruelty” after leaving three cows to freeze to death on his farm.

The animals were part of a herd of 20 kept on a smallholding in Harrow by Khalid Undre, who runs Down To Earth café and health shop in Kensington High Street.

It bills itself as being “environmentally sound, sustainable and animal friendly”, and boasts that “by-products from our kitchen go to feed the cows in our Harrow farm”.

The “ethical organic lifestyle products” on the menu include “raw food” vegan terrine for £8.50.

But RSPCA and environmental health inspectors raided the farm last January after a tip-off from a concerned local.

One cow lay dead in heavy snow, having given birth without help. Another cow and its calf died later.

The rest of the Red Poll cattle were underweight and dehydrated after being left without enough food or water.

The orphaned calf was nursed back to health by RSPCA officers and is now thriving at a petting farm in Sussex. The herd was sold to another farmer. However, four calves born at the site but not tagged were slaughtered.

Willesden magistrates found Undre, 50, of Kenton, guilty of animal welfare offences. He was given 120 hours of community work and ordered to pay £2,500 legal costs.

Susan Hall, leader of Harrow council, said: “This was an appalling offence of animal cruelty, made all the more grotesque by the cynical way in which this man paraded himself as a champion of ethical food standards.”

Last month’s trial heard Undre did not feed the cows a wholesome diet or feed them at regular intervals, and failed to provide access to drinking water at the farm, off Ass House Lane in Harrow Weald. He was also found guilty of failing to dispose of carcasses properly.

He said he was appealing against the conviction, adding: “You can draw your own conclusions.”