Huge fine for restaurant owner after dirty kitchen, unsafe oven and out of date food found

Out of date pork legs, failing to keep surfaces clean, a lack of food safety procedures and not ensuring food was protected from contamination were all found by food inspectors when they visited The Koyla Kitchen in Thorns Road, Brierley Hill, in January last year.

Parent company K2JY Limited was in the dock at Dudley Magistrates Court last Wednesday, where owner Inderjit Kaur Pandher admitted four counts of failing to comply with food safety and hygiene regulations and one charge of failure to discharge general health, safety and welfare duty to employee on behalf of the firm.

Inspectors from Dudley Council found bosses had failed to implement procedures to ensure food safety and protect it from contamination, as well as poor standards of cleanliness when they visited on January 24 2022.

They also discovered food, which was available to purchase in the restaurant, was beyond its use by date, noting three imported pork legs with a use-by date of January 20.

A health and safety charge noted that bosses failed to ensure the safety of employees around the pub's Shaan Tandoor Oven with a fault in its ignition system leading to staff having to light it in an unsafe manner.

K2JY Limited was fined £25,334 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £190 and full costs of £1,686.82. In total it must pay £27,210.82.

Separate charges against Ms Pandher were dropped with the court acknowledging that steps had been taken to remedy the breaches and she had co-operated with the investigation.

The Koyla Kitchen currently has a top food hygiene rating of five.

Speaking after the sentencing, Councillor Ian Bevan, cabinet member-elect for public health at Dudley Council, said: “Our environmental health officers take hygiene breaches very seriously, as failure to comply can put the wellbeing of consumers at risk.

“It goes without saying that as paying customers we all have the right to expect that the food we eat is safe. When that’s not the case we will take action to protect consumers.

“This is another successful case as we strive to uphold hygiene standards across the borough, and I hope it serves as an example to other food premises.”