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A restaurant in Norbury, south London has been fined £2,000 following an inspection by food safety officials. The owner has also been fined more than three thousand pounds in court costs, making this an expensive way to be told your kitchen is too dirty.

Inspectors found numerous breaches of food hygiene regulations, despite a number of visits, including:

• A failure to elaborate and implement a food safety management system
• A failure to provide staff with food safety training or instruction
• Food left uncovered in fridges
• An absence of date coding
• Raw meat being stored next to food that was ready to consume
• Dirt, grease and grime were found on all work surfaces and equipment
• Cleaning cloths were encrusted with food debris and dirt
• Hand cleaning facilities were not being used and no cleaning products were available for staff to use
• The washing-up area and draining board were filthy

Despite the fact that the owner was given a warning as well as time to rectify the situation when inspectors returned to check on progress, they found that standards were still well below those expected of an establishment serving food to the public, and the owner was prosecuted and fined.