Noodle bar dished up a hefty fine

A noodle bar owner has been fined £18,000 after Ealing Council officers uncovered several serious breaches of hygiene regulations.

Andy Ly, 42, owner of Coco Noodle Bar, 70 The Mall, Ealing, pleaded guilty to six hygiene related offences at Ealing Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, 7 January. He was fined £18,000 and ordered to pay £3,695.95 towards the council’s court costs, totalling £21,695.95.

A council food hygiene officer, part of the Regulatory Services team, inspected the premises in June 2009. It was revealed that there were no food safety management systems in place and a number of poor food hygiene practices including:

• Storage of frozen food likely to cause contamination and cross-contamination
  
  
• Dirty grease-stained floors
  
  
• The chiller floor caked in grease
  
  
• Inadequate cleaning records
  

The court heard that officers had previously inspected the restaurant in 2006, when conditions of gross contamination were discovered, including a serious rat infestation in the kitchen.  Ly was prosecuted in 2007 and fined £10,000 plus costs. During that time the restaurant also had to be closed for two days while the kitchen was cleaned up.

Councillor Vlod Barchuk, Cabinet Member for Safer Communities, said: “They clearly didn’t learn from their first trip to court so I sincerely hope they take heed this time round. I’m glad the courts have recognised how serious this is and served up such a large fine. “We simply will not tolerate the safety of residents being put at risk and we will be keeping a close eye on the restaurant to make sure they remain fully compliant with hygiene laws.

“The noodle bar is walking a thin line now. If they are convicted again we will seriously consider making an application to the courts and Mr Ly could face a ban from running a food business in the future.”

The council prosecuted the restaurant under the Food Hygiene (England) Regulations 2006. Coco Noodle Bar has since made satisfactory improvements.

A breakdown of the fine is as follows:

• £2,500 due to the condition of the walk-in chiller, and also for staff failing to wear protective clothing. (Total £5,000)
  
  
• £3,000 for failing to keep the premises clean, and also for inadequate cleaning records and no permanent procedure in place in accordance with the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP). (Total £9,000)
  
  
• A £4,000 fine was imposed for failing to provide a written food safety management system. This was the third time he had committed the offence.
  
  
• Ealing Council is one of a number of authorities taking part in London’s Scores on the Doors scheme, where restaurants are awarded zero to five stars following a food hygiene inspection by the council's food safety team. This score applies to the conditions found at the last inspection only.  It may not represent the current condition of the business. See the council’s website for more information.
  
  
• Ealing Council has three priorities – cleaner streets, safer communities and value for money services.