Three Luton businesses make dramatic hygiene improvements after being prosecuted by council

A Food Standards Agency rating sticker on a window of a restaurant in central London. A huge variation in food hygiene standards remains across the UK, with one in five high or medium-risk food outlets failing to meet standards, according to a study.

A trio of Luton businesses have shot up in their hygiene ratings after being prosecuted by the council’s environmental health office.

One of the three – Chopstix – has improved so much that it now enjoys the maximum five ‘score on the door’.

The other two – Coffee Pot at Nadeem Plaza and Nisa Local in Ashcroft Road – attained a rating of four.

Back in July 2022 a council Environmental Health Officer found a poor standard of cleanliness and active cockroach inspection at Mr T’s Cafe Ltd, trading as Coffee Pot, at Unit 1 Nadeem Plaza, Dunstable Road. It was fined £20,000, plus a £8000 victim surcharge and £750 prosecution costs. The director, Mr. Tanher Ahmed was also fined £6,800 and ordered to pay £2,000 victim surcharge, plus £750 prosecution costs at Luton Magistrates court.

In March 2022, a council officer visited JGSG Retail Limited (registered address 6th Floor Amp House, Dingwall Road, Croydon, Surrey, CR0 2LX), trading as Nisa Local 176-178 Ashcroft Road, Luton, following a complaint that the shop was displaying and selling food past its use-by date. Subsequent visits revealed a catalogue of examples of items remaining on the shelves well beyond their use-by dates.

It was fined £8,000, plus a £3,200 victim surcharge and £535 prosecution costs. The director, Mr. Jeetender Singh Ghuman was also fined £6,016 and ordered to pay a £600 victim surcharge and £535 prosecution costs.

During an unannounced visit to Chopstix in The Mall, in January 2020, mouse droppings were found in a number of areas both in the front serving area, under shelving and behind a fridge. Additional inspections in the food preparation area led the officer to finding more droppings, both on the floor and near the cooking range at cooker level – even though the site manager hadn’t recorded issues in the daily log. A hygiene emergency prohibition notice was immediately served, and the premises was closed.

Chopstix Trading Ltd, trading as Chopstix was fined £29,000 plus a £180 surcharge and £11,494.50 prosecution costs.

Councillor Khtija Malik, portfolio holder for Public Health at Luton Council, said: "In all of these situations there has been a dreadful failure on behalf of food business operators, managers and staff to take their food hygiene responsibilities seriously. This has meant people have been repeatedly exposed to significant health hazards. Such a cavalier attitude to public health is totally unacceptable.

“All establishments selling food in Luton must stick to the highest possible standards and when they fail to do so, we will step in with the full force of the law, including emergency closure and prosecution. Whether filling out records, ensuring surfaces are thoroughly clean or having adequate procedures in place to control pests: each outlet is expected to make these matters a priority. If establishments fail to do this, we will force them to do so on behalf of residents.”