Hefty Fines

Not maintaining basic food hygiene standards can land you with hefty fines as a Reading takeaway found out last summer.

Hot Stuff in Oxford Road was taken to court by Reading Borough Council after Inspectors found rat droppings in food preperation areas and rats in all parts of the Indian takeaway and closed it down. The officers also found no food safety management scheme in place and insufficient staff training.
The business had scored a zero in the food hygiene ratings and shown little improvement at inspections following the closure.

The company was prosecuted for 15 offences at Reading Crown Court and fined more than £10,000, including £4,000 for the droppings found in a food preparation area, and a further £6,000 for failing to comply with improvement notices.

A victim surcharge of £170 was also awarded and the council was awarded £2,626 in costs.

Mr Mujtaba the Director was fined a total of £2,078 and given a Hygiene Prohibition Order which means he is banned from being involved in the management of any takeaway food business.
During the sentencing Judge Kirsty Real, said the takeaway had been left in an “unacceptable state” and that Mujtaba had high culpability for the offences