Restauranteur Given Food For Thought For Food Hygiene Non-Compliance

Denbighshire County Council is reminding food businesses across the county of the need to ensure they display their food hygiene rating in a prominent position. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The warning follows a case in which Mr Shafa Shah, owner of the Simla Indian Restaurant in Llangollen was taken to court by Denbighshire County Council for failing to display the food hygiene rating and for failing to comply with two improvement notices served on him to improve standards of food hygiene. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

This had been a 0 rated business for some time. The restaurant was inspected on 21st September 2015 and despite improvement notices being issued, the work to improve standards of food hygiene had not been carried out and the food hygiene rating was not being displayed. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Mr Shah was fined a total of £2367.50 after pleading guilty to the offences. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Councillor David Smith, Cabinet Lead Member for Public Protection, said: “Every business involved in the supply and preparation of food must display their food hygiene ratings in prominent position, to inform the public. It’s not a choice – it’s the law. The majority of food businesses comply and display their ratings properly. It also gives reassurances to law abiding businesses that we are tackling problems with businesses that are non-compliant. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“However, in this particular case, Mr Shah didn’t display the ratings and didn’t carry out the necessary work we had requested following our inspection of the premises. As a result, the Council decided it was in the public interest to take the serious issue of non-compliance through the courts. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“The food hygiene ratings are in place to allow the public to see for themselves the standards of hygiene and for the consumer to make an informed choice on their use of that particular business. This is a scheme that we are fully signed up to in Denbighshire and we have informed all of our food businesses that they must comply with the law”. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) helps you choose where to eat out or shop for food by telling you how seriously the business takes their food hygiene standards. The scheme is run by local authorities in Wales, England and Northern Ireland and applies to restaurants, pubs, cafes, takeaways, hotels, supermarkets and other food shops. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​