Chinese takeaway in Luton fined £10,000 for poor hygiene and serving under cooked chicken

The owner of a Chinese takeaway has been prosecuted for serving undercooked chicken in addition to poor hygiene, cleaning and structural standards.

Blossom Garden Takeaway Ltd was fined £10,000 and the director, Mr Cheng, fined £510 and also ordered to pay £51 victim surcharge and £2,459 prosecution costs when he appeared at Luton Magistrates Court on December 15.

But current owner Dasheng Zheng claimed the offences happened under the takeaway’s previous management – and Blossom Garden now has a Food Standard Agency rating of 3, which it was handed on February 15, 2022.

A Luton Borough Council spokesman said: “The council received a food premises registration form on December 24, 2022, suggesting a new owner, and will register under new ownership from that date, once the ownership details have been verified.”

In April 2021, a council Environmental Health Officer visited Blossom Garden in Marsh Road, Luton, to investigate a complaint from a customer who received undercooked chicken in their takeaway. The officer found poor food hygiene standards including an infestation of mice. The business was immediately closed at the time using hygiene emergency prohibition powers.

The takeaway was inspected again in November 2021 and poor standards were again found, including filthy, damaged equipment and poor structural repair.

Councillor Maria Lovell, portfolio holder for Neighbourhood Services and Community Safety at Luton Council, said: "It is essential that food business owners take their responsibilities seriously and they must be directly involved in the business to ensure the safety of members of the public.

“To have to be issued with one emergency closure notice for poor hygiene once is bad enough, but for poor standards to be found again is inexcusable. “We want to make it clear that we will not hesitate to take action where businesses fail to put people’s safety first.”

She explained all food businesses must have documented food safety management systems in place such as the Food Standards Agency’s Safer Food Better Business. It is also important they have ongoing and adequate procedures in place to monitor and control pests. Effective pest control also includes having good standards of cleanliness and maintenance of equipment and surfaces with a good finish to walls, floors and ceilings.

A permanent pest control monitoring and treatment contract should be in place with a reputable, professional company registered with the British Pest Control Association or The National Pest Technical Association. Businesses can obtain advice and guidance and use the council’s own pest control traded service by contacting 01582 546814 or emailing [email protected]

Where a food business is found to have pest activity, it faces emergency closure and prosecution.

Customers can view food ratings at the Food Standards Agency's website.