Food Safety: ‘Yien’ Takeaway Owner fined £3,180

A former Kimberley takeaway owner has been handed a £3,180 fine after pleading guilty to nine food safety offences at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court (Photo Gallery Below).

[relatedPosts title=”Related Posts”]

Broxtowe Borough Council visited Mr Cheok Tong Lao at the Yien Takeaway premises in Eastwood Road to carry out a routine food hygiene inspection in March, and conditions in the premises were deemed to be poor.

The walls were stained and dirty, there was thick burned on grease and food debris encrusted on and around the cooking range, the floor in the premises had only been cleaned on the visible area, the wash hand basin and the soap dispenser were dirty, as was the sink and surrounding area. Food debris and finger marks on the inside and outside of both the microwave and the chiller and the internal and external parts of the extraction system were coated in black grease.

Surfaces which came into contact with open food, such as chopping boards and food storage containers, were also dirty and food service bags and packs of prawn crackers were being stored in old and greasy cardboard boxes. Food handlers must wear clean protective clothing yet Mr Lao wore none and the only available apron was dirty and had a hole in it.

Although Mr Lao has worked in the food industry for approximately 20 years and had recently taken a distance learning training course in food hygiene, his knowledge of good practice was poor with important temperatures not known and open foods being left out uncovered where they could become contaminated.

Magistrates said that despite receiving previous warnings from Environmental Health Officers, Mr Lao had shown ‘a flagrant disregard for the food hygiene regulations’. He was fined a total of £3,180 which included £915 costs and the £15 victim surcharge.

Yien Takeaway has now changed hands and the new proprietor has made numerous improvements and recently received a ‘satisfactory’ rating of three out of five.

Yien Takeaway has now changed hands. The new proprietor has made numerous improvements and has recently received a ‘satisfactory’ rating of three out of five.