A fish and chip shop owner in Netherton has landed a court bill of more than £5,000 after a series of poor hygiene standards were discovered.
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Sharon and Sukh, Ltd, the proprietors of Darby End Fish Bar in Northfield Road, Netherton, pleaded guilty to seven offences under the food hygiene regulations at Dudley Magistrates on Friday (July 11).
The offences were identified during an inspection of the shop in June 2012 and included a failure to address food safety hazards, failure to keep premises and equipment clean and in good repair, inadequate hand wash facilities and a failure to ensure food handlers were adequately trained.
Following the visit and the prosecution, which included a £4,500 fine and court costs of £1,000, Darby End Fish Bar has now improved from a zero rating to a broadly compliant hygiene rating of three out of five.
Dudley Council environmental health officers carry out regular inspections of all food premises in the borough to advise food business proprietors and ensure they meet all food safety and hygiene requirements.
The hygiene standards found at the time of inspection are then rated on a scale. At the bottom of the scale is zero which means urgent improvement is required. At the top of the scale is five, meaning the hygiene standards are very good.
Ratings in Dudley can be viewed online at www.dudley.gov.uk/foodsafety or at www.food.gov.uk/ratings
Consumers are also advised to look out for the sticker in the window or a certificate on display inside the premises.
The proportion of zero rated food premises in the borough has reduced significantly due to a combination of additional coaching for business owners and prosecutions of the poorest performing premises. There are currently only 12 food premises in the borough with a zero rating out of 1,984 food hygiene ratings published.
Councillor Tracy Wood, cabinet member for environment and culture, said:
“This prosecution sends out a clear message that we’re tough on food hygiene. We work very closely with businesses to ensure they know the law and offer help and advice where we can.
“However, in certain cases, prosecution is the only option in our bid to ensure people are protected when buying food in the Dudley borough.
“Nearly half of all food outlets in the borough are achieving the top hygiene rating of five and the vast majority achieve a satisfactory rating of three or more. I would urge consumers to check out hygiene ratings online as these will give consumers a glimpse of what is going on in the kitchen when they eat out, or behind the scenes at the places they shop.”
