THE OWNERS of a chinese restaurant in Greenwich have been fined £54,000 for breaching food hygiene rules.
In addition to the fine – the largest ever given to a Greenwich business – the owners of Peninsula restaurant in Bugsby’s Way will have to pay £2,600 costs and have been banned from running a food business.
The punishment was handed down by Judge Byers at Woolwich Crown Court on Thursday after the owners, Crestdane Limited, pleaded to guilty to 18 food safety breaches.
Greenwich.co.uk reported in February 2010 that the restaurant had been fined £13,500 for its poor standard of hygiene.
In April 2011, the restaurant was temporarily closed again after council officers carried out an unannounced inspection and found more evidence of a mouse infestation, including droppings near food, plates and even inside a roll of cling film.
Councillor Maureen O’Mara, Greenwich Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Environment said: “I applaud the verdict in this case and welcome the additional sanction that bans the owners from running a food business in the future.
“The hygiene conditions at this restaurant were an absolute disgrace. The key priority seemed to be placing profits over offering good quality food by operating with a blatant disregard for the health of their customers. We have tried to support the restaurant to clean up its act, but they have consistently failed to do so.”
The punishment for the restaurant came just days before Chinese new year, and when Greenwich.co.uk checked this weekend, the restaurant was open and trading.
Not sure that ‘share and enjoy’ is what should be the last words in this article – more like “eeargh!”
The owners will no doubt just start a new company , its done all the time. I have followed stories about hygiene issues here over the past couple of years and the small fines that restaurants receive have often shocked me. Having been on the end of very serious food poisoning ( not in this country ) surely the willful neglect of basic hygiene when it could be potentially lethal should not carry a small fine but a criminal offence.
Anyone can make a mistake but this place has been fined on at least 3 occasions and must now be closed down. Its always busy when I have been past and I hope no-one has suffered the kind of episode I endured.
With the huge mark-ups made by restaurants of this size a 50K fine is a mere slap on the wrist. Please keep us posted , I understand from Rob that it was still trading today !
stu
The fact that it is still doing business is shocking.
Unmm now we know, the Ancient Chinese secret.
Is this the Peninsular restaurant at Holiday Inn??
Im well gutted been going there for ten years never had a problem. Bet they don’t pay the fine!
dont know what to say.
smell the rats haha
now we know, the Ancient chinese secret.
This is absolutely terrible espercially considering that their food prices were not exactly cheap!! They maintained the actual seating areas of the restaurant pretty well so i’d never have guessed that this is what was going on behind closed doors! Absolutely disgusting!!!
They have open back!!! Different company name same owners!!!!