A Chinese restaurant owner and manager have been left with a bill for over £5,000 after their premises was found with poor food hygiene standards.
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South Kesteven District Council prosecuted Mr Yu Wu and Mr Qing Wu of Mr Man and Mr Pang restaurant in Wharf Road, Grantham, for an offence under food hygiene legislation.
Grantham Magistrates’ Court heard SKDC food safety officers undertook an unannounced food hygiene inspection of the premises on February 14 this year.
The kitchen area and cooking utensils were found in a dirty condition with the inspectors also witnessing a child being present in the work area in a push chair.
Food debris was found around the walls, floor and skirting boards, bloody meat juices were evident below a freezer and containers of raw meat were placed in cooked food only areas.
There was also no running hot water as the boiler was found to be faulty and several cooked ducks were found hung above a pot wash area that posed a dangerous threat of cross contamination.
The issues were similar to the contraventions identified at previous inspections in March 2012 and in May 2009 when warning notices had been issued on the conditions of the kitchen.
Both defendants pleaded guilty on July 22 to a count of failing to keep a food business premises cleaned, maintained and in good repair and condition contrary to Regulation 17 of the Food Hygiene (England) regulations 2006.
Chair of magistrates Richard Spinks fined Yu Wu £2,000 and Qing Wu £1,400, splitting their £1,968.02 costs between them and imposing a £120 victim surcharge each.
He said: “Mr Yu Wu, you owned and were responsible for the running of a food outlet serving the paying public.
“Your customers need to be assured they are being served good quality food which has been prepared under the most hygienic conditions.
“The evidence presented to us today shows a very dirty kitchen.”
SKDC urges business owners and managers to attend their twice monthly free workshops for food business operators that advise traders on food hygiene and preparation.
The authority’s portfolio holder for healthy environment, Cllr John Smith, said food operators need to be fully aware of their responsibilities when trading.
He said: “Good hygienic standards are essential to any business that prides itself on providing safe food for members of the public to consume.
“We know it is a small minority of food businesses who allow standards to slip but this case highlights the dangers when food laws are contravened.
“If you are a business owner we remind you that it is your responsibility that you and your employees always ensure your premises possess a satisfactory hygienic standard and any food sold is always safe.
“We had little option in this case but to prosecute and the magistrates’ fine sends out the message we will not tolerate putting members of the public’s health at risk.”
