Takeaway fined £9.5K as chickens come home to roost

A MANCHESTER takeaway has been fined more than £9,500 after health inspectors uncovered a host of food safety violations – including evidence of mice and rats on the premises.

Taj Corporation Limited, the owner of Chicken Cottage on Wilmslow Road in Rusholme was fined £8,000 and told to pay £1,442.97 in costs with a further £100 victim surcharge at Manchester Magistrates Court this week for eight separate food safety offences.

Following a complaint from a member of the public, Manchester City Council’s food safety officers inspected the takeaway in April 2015 and uncovered evidence of rat and mice activity, a lack of a water supply as well as dirty walls and surfaces.

Mouse droppings were found in a cupboard under the coffee machine in the serving area and rat droppings were discovered on the basement storeroom stairs – which lead directly from the food preparation area.

Holes were found in a number of doors, including one to the rear passageway, allowing access for vermin.

The kitchen and preparations areas were greasy and dirty. Raw chicken was seen stored next to salads in the walk-in refrigerator and was being prepared around sinks with no means to adequately clean and sanitise the preparation areas.

The water supply had been disconnected, this meant there was no water for washing hands, flushing toilets, washing equipment and surfaces or for controlling the risk of cross contamination.

The company agreed to voluntarily close the takeaway until the infestations were under control and the cleaning standards and food safety practices were improved.

The Chicken Cottage takeaway has now permanently closed and a new business has opened at the premises under new ownership.

Councillor Nigel Murphy, Manchester City Council executive member for neighbourhoods, said: “The total disregard for hygiene displayed by this company is completely unacceptable, which is illustrated by the severity of the fine.”