Eatery owners fined £12k after cockroach discovery
THESE are the stomach churning images taken inside a cockroach infested restaurant.
The filthy conditions were discovered by food hygiene bosses during an inspection of Istanblue in Royton in November last year.
German cockroaches were found in a cutlery drawer, on a red salad pepper and in a dishwasher, and fridges, floors and walls were covered in dirt.
Environmental Health officers recorded adequate procedures were not in place to control pests and the food premises had not been kept clean or maintained in good repair and condition.
Owners Mavi Royton Ltd were this week fined £12,000 after a successful prosecution by Oldham Council.
On March 29, the company pleaded guilty to two food hygiene offences at Tameside Magistrates Court and was sentenced £6,000 per offence. Costs awarded were £1,425 and a victim surcharge of £170.
Coun Barbara Brownridge, cabinet member for Neighbourhoods and Cooperatives, said: “Oldham Council takes matters like this very seriously and we are committed to ensuring there are no serious lapses in food hygiene in premises across the borough.
“We will not hesitate to take action in cases like these to protect the health and safety of our residents.
“Business owners who run establishments that serve food must comply with the law or be prepared to face prosecution.”
The premises was closed at the time of the inspection and reopened following a reinspection by environmental health officers.
According to the Food Standards Agency, Istanblue was a awarded a good ‘four’ hygiene rating during it’s most recent inspection on January 27.
Customers on TripAdvisor also seem impressed with the restaurant, which is rated the top restaurant in Royton on the site.
User Ziad B from Stockport visited recently and said: “This restaurant is one of the best restaurants around. The food is fantastic. The service as well. All the staff are polite and very helpful! Highly recommend this restaurant.”
Matthew M reviewed a visit earlier this month and said: “Me and my partner decided to try Istanblue last night after seeing a picture on Facebook we had to wait for a table as we didn’t book so enjoyed a couple of cocktails from the lounge bar upstairs.
“I have never been to a Turkish style restaurant before so didn’t know what the food would be like but there was a great choice on the menu and the food was lovely can’t wait to go back and sample the rest of the menu.”