Thursday, December 8 2005

South Derbyshire District Council has prosecuted the owner of a Thai restaurant after repeat visits by EHOs failed to improve hygiene standards.
After inspecting the Thai Kitchen in February 2004, EHO Lisa Forshaw served six food safety improvement notices on Anurat Praditngam, owner of the restaurant at 3 Wilne Lane, Shardlow. Mr Praditngam gave assurances that the restaurant would be closed for a full refurbishment during the summer of 2004.
But a repeat visit in September found that just two notices had been complied with. Others requiring a ceiling to be replastered and painted, broken tiles replaced and two chest freezers repaired had been ignored.
Conditions in the kitchen were filthy, with food stored in broken plastic ice cream containers. The district judge said trays used to drain plates after washing were ‘stomach churning’. And despite earlier warnings about tripping hazards, an electric cable was found trailing across a step leading from the kitchen to a storeroom.
Mr Praditngam’s solicitor said he had thought he knew best but now understood it would cost him dearly. The court was shown more recent photographs of the kitchen showing the improvements since undertaken.
Mr Praditngam pleaded guilty to six charges and was fined £500 for each of four offences of failing
to comply with food safety improvement notices.
He was also fined £250 for not keeping the premises clean and in good repair, £250 for not keeping food containers in good repair, and £1,000 for failing to make sure the premises were kept free of tripping hazards. Costs of £1,400 were awarded to South Derbyshire DC.

Hi
Just a thought, I was wondering if "EHO Lisa Forshaw" has ever been to Thailand? or for that matter Asia??

Anyone care to sample a meal at the above and write a review ?
Maybe we could have a forum night out.

It's quite highly thought of by locals in the area-but that might just be because of the setting. Never been there myself though,preferring the ones in Derby.

How can we expect the required standard of hygiene in UK food companies when the courts give out such paltry fines? Well done to Lisa Forshaw for the difficult task of bringing this to court.