EXCLUSIVE Chinese restaurant is closed after health inspectors find peeing pets, cockroaches and rats along with the dim-sum in prime Wardour St venue
- Orient London in Soho was raided by shocked health inspectors in July 2022
- The restaurant was fined almost £20,000 including costs and victim surcharge
Health inspectors in London closed down a Chinese restaurant in Soho after finding pet urine, cockroaches and rat droppings in the kitchen.
The business, Orient London on Wardour Street in fashionable Soho, was raided by environmental health officers on July 1 last year, where they found ‘pet urine and cockroaches running rampant’.
According to figures seen by MailOnline there are more than 4,000 restaurants and cafes across England, Wales and Northern Ireland who have received a food standards rating of two or less.
One insider told MailOnline: ‘During the inspection, they discovered rat droppings in the dim-sum section, dead cockroaches, and live cockroaches in containers and near ceramic bowls.’
‘Additionally, they noticed a strong smell of pet urine. As a result, the premises was temporarily closed but was allowed to reopen once the necessary standards had been met.’
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Health inspectors raided Orient London restaurant in Soho, London in July 2022 where they found rat droppings and cockroaches as well as an overpowering smell of pet urine
The restaurant was fined almost £20,000 including a victim surcharge and costs
An inspection by food inspectors in October 2023 gave the Orient, London a three-star rating
However, a subsequent inspection in October 2023 found the restaurant was ‘satisfactory’ having received a three-star rating.
Westminster City Council also raided Kandaka Cafe on the Edgware road having received a tip-off.
READ MORE: Is this Britain’s dodgiest street to buy a takeaway?
A spokesperson said: ‘During their inspection, they found mouse droppings scattered throughout the premises, including on the lids of food containers, pans, and utensils.
‘The officers also observed a cockroach in the kitchen. Further inspection revealed a large accumulation of grease in the poorly ventilated premises, leading to the immediate closure of the business.’
The spokesperson said: ‘On November 22, 2023, Orient London was successfully prosecuted by the council and pleaded guilty to all four charges, resulting in a total cost of £19,799.
‘Westminster City Council will work closely with businesses to ensure they are aware of the highest food safety standards.’
The council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for communities, public protection and licencing, Cllr Aicha Less said: ‘Rats dropping and creepy crawlies are not what people have in mind when ordering from their favourite restaurants. I’m grateful to the environmental health officers for closing down these businesses before there was serious harm to customers.’
Following the inspection, food standards experts issued the restaurant with an immediate closure order
Officials also raided Kandaka Cafe on Edgware Road, which currently has a one-star food standards rating
The owners of Orient London pleaded guilty to four charged. They were fined £9,000 and ordered to pay costs of £8,799 and a victim surcharge of £2,000.
Kandaka Cafe faced seven charges and were fined £4,000 with costs of £5,292 and a victim surcharge of £1,600 – a total of £10,982.
The most recent inspection at Kandaka Cafe in May gave the business a one-star rating.
The inspectors expressed major concern about the management of food safety.
Kandaka Cafe was fined almost £11,000 including costs and a victim surcharge
Cllr Aicha Less said: ‘Rats dropping and creepy crawlies are not what people have in mind when ordering from their favourite restaurants’
What are the Food Standards Ratings?
The scheme gives businesses a rating from 5 to 0 which is displayed at their premises and online so you can make more informed choices about where to buy and eat food.
5 – hygiene standards are very good
4 – hygiene standards are good
3 – hygiene standards are generally satisfactory
2 – some improvement is necessary
1 – major improvement is necessary
0 – urgent improvement is required
The scheme is set out in law in Wales and Northern Ireland but display of the rating sticker is voluntary in England.
Ratings are a snapshot of the standards of food hygiene found at the time of inspection. It is the responsibility of the business to comply with food hygiene law at all times.
This includes:
- handling of food
- how food is stored
- how food is prepared
- cleanliness of facilities
- how food safety is managed
The food hygiene rating scheme does not provide information on the following factors:
- quality of the food
- customer service
- culinary skill
- presentation
- comfort
The rating shows how well the business is doing overall, based on standards found at the time of inspection. The ratings can be found online and on stickers which are displayed at business premises. The back of the sticker and the online rating will also show the date of the inspection by the local authority’s food safety officer.
Ratings are typically given to places where food is supplied, sold or consumed, such as:
- restaurants, pubs and cafes
- takeaways, food vans and stalls
- canteens and hotels
- supermarkets and other food shops
- schools, hospitals and care homes
A food safety officer from the local authority inspects a business to check that it follows food hygiene law so that the food is safe to eat.
At the inspection, the officer will check the following three elements:
- how hygienically the food is handled – how it is prepared, cooked, re-heated, cooled and stored
- the physical condition of the business –including cleanliness, layout, lighting, ventilation, pest control and other facilities
- how the business manages ways of keeping food safe, looking at processes, training and systems to ensure good hygiene is maintained. The officer can then assess the level of confidence in standards being maintained in the future
Source: Food Standards Agency
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