‘Infestation of cockroaches’ found at Turkish restaurant

Antep Turkish Cuisine restaurant in Balsall Heath pleaded guilty back in May to 24 offences, paying £12,000 in fines and £1,000 in costs.

The fine related to conditions found by inspectors during five separate visits to the premises, with a report stating: “The premises was not kept clean, open food was stored in areas where cockroaches were active. There was an infestation of cockroaches throughout the premises.”

And Antep is just one of five premises and individuals fined across May/June this year for food hygiene offences, a report that went before the council’s Licensing and Public Protection Committee showed.

Al-Shazan on Stratford Road was fined £1,650 in May for failing to comply with a hygiene improvement notice ‘requiring floors, walls, shelving, touch points, fridges and freezers, food storage containers and equipment and utensils to be thoroughly cleaned.’

And Khaled Javed of Bordesley also pleaded guilty to two offences of failing to comply with two hygiene improvement notices at Spicy Corner, 241 Pretoria Road, with a fine of £5,340 issued as a result.

ZHSP Ltd on Alexandra Road also received a fine of £8,000 for five offences related to conditions at China Court Bakery, with inspectors noting ‘debris and spillages around shelving and holes in the cladding on the wall’ and that ‘food was stored open and unprotected from contamination in the fridge.’

And another premises, Stocktons Bakery in Bordesley Green, was fined a whopping £38,000 for 19 different offences, with a report stating: “The standard of cleaning throughout the premises was poor and there was mould on the ceiling in the production area.

“Utensils and scoops were stored in foods and storage bins and food was stored uncovered in the freezer. Icing bags were mouldy, the conveyor belt and planetary mixer were dirty.

“Nine offences resulting from the second visit, four of failing to comply with improvement notices requiring information to be provided regarding allergens within products, a permanent procedure based on HACCP principles to be put in place, food handlers to be trained and food items to be stored at the correct temperatures.

“Three offences relating to the standard of cleaning which was still poor, one relating to a full fat soft cheese which was found past its use by date and one relating to cheese which was found to be mouldy in the walk-in.

“Four further offences resulting from the third inspection; there were still no procedures in place based on HACCP principles, cream was found past its use by date, fresh cream scones were not kept at the correct temperature and the matrix used to provide customers with information regarding ingredients or processing aids was not accurate.”