Yorkshire doner kebab manufacturer fined £6,000 for poor food hygiene

Halal Catering Supplies Ltd. which operates at Beckside Trading Estate, Bradford Road, Batley, pleaded guilty to 15 offences at Kirklees Magistrates’ Court on Monday, May 22. These included: a lack of traceability; failing to follow their own food safety management systems; failing to maintain the premises in a sound condition; failing to place correct identification markings on their products; and failing to comply with hygiene improvement notices.

During a routine food hygiene inspection in January 2022, Kirklees Council Environmental Health Team established that the lamb fat used in the manufacture of Halal Catering Supplies Ltd.’s kebabs was not being sourced from a supplier with the required approval. In addition, it was noted the structure of the premises was in poor condition and that food safety management systems were not being followed.

Officers found flaking paint on ceilings and rusty equipment in the production area, unfit food not quarantined and a lack of monitoring records to show food was being maintained at safe temperatures. There were also no useful means of knowing which companies they had supplied food to, food packaging materials covered with dust and debris, open spilt mouse bait in food storage rooms and the company was not following its food hygiene procedures.

To protect the health of consumers, over a two-day operation, Food Safety Officers from Kirklees ensured the company disposed of all food that had not been produced in accordance with food hygiene laws and was potentially unsafe.

The premises were then put under a period of close monitoring by Food Safety Officers to ensure there was no continuing risk to the public. The company employed a Food Safety Consultant and officers worked with the business to get them back to the standard required.

However, despite this assistance, the company continued to fail to address all the contraventions including several structural matters. They also failed to comply with three hygiene improvement notices to agreed timescales.

Halal Catering Supplies Ltd. was fined £2000, ordered to pay a contribution towards the prosecution costs of £900 and a £200 surcharge. The Director Mr Ali Shan and Operations Manager Mr Osman Ali Shan were both also fined £584, and each ordered to pay a contribution towards the prosecution costs of £900 and a £58 surcharge, having pleaded guilty to the same offences.

Councillor Naheed Mather, Cabinet Member for Culture and Greener Kirklees, said: “Any business providing food to the public must prepare it with high levels of hygiene and safety. Ultimately, we don’t want the public to get substandard food or food that makes them ill from their local takeaway or restaurant.

“It is important that businesses have a system in place to support them to do this, know who their suppliers are, that they do the same and keep records. Kirklees Food Safety Officers inspect all premises and take action to hold business owners to account when this doesn’t happen.

“We work with businesses where we can but where this doesn’t work, taking them to court is important to get businesses to change and show other businesses and the public what happens when food isn’t prepared safely. Thanks to the intervention of our officers, Halal Catering Supplies Ltd. has now improved its standards.”

Despite cases such as this, in Kirklees there has been an increase in highly rated premises when it comes to food hygiene. In 2021/22 48 percent of council inspected premises were given a five rating for food hygiene, and in 2022/23, this increased to 55 percent.