Restaurant fit for a Prince fined for food hygiene offences

An environmental health officer found a catalogue of problems at Saffron Desi, in Micklegate, where Prince William dined with RAF colleagues in 2008, when it was under different owners.

Following a hearing at York Magistrates’ Court this week, owner Adil Azad Mughal was ordered to pay £10,446 after pleading guilty to six food hygiene offences. The court heard an inspector found a catalogue of problems in 2011, including encrusted dirt on the kitchen floor.

Sean Suckling, prosecuting, said: “There was a general failure to comply with basic food hygiene which could have had an impact on public health with, for example, food poisoning. The public put their trust in food businesses for food that’s safe to eat, but in this case that was breached.”

In mitigation, Mohammed Patel said Mughal had since spent £8,000 on a new ventilation system and addressed remaining problems.