Northern Ireland

Owners of Belfast's Red Panda restaurant handed hefty fine for hygiene offences

The Red Panda restaurant on Belfast's Great Victoria Street was handed a £2,500 fine
The Red Panda restaurant on Belfast's Great Victoria Street was handed a £2,500 fine The Red Panda restaurant on Belfast's Great Victoria Street was handed a £2,500 fine

The owners of a Belfast restaurant have been fined for food hygiene offences

Red Belfast 7BB Limited, owner of the Red Panda restaurant on Great Victoria Street, was handed a £2,500 at Belfast Magistrates’ Court in a prosecution taken by Belfast City Council.

The case follows a routine inspection of the Red Panda restaurant in May 2019 and a number of follow-up inspections to monitor improvement in hygiene standards.

During inspections, environmental health officers found that the premises, including equipment, was not kept clean and was in some disrepair, while food was stored in a manner that presented a risk of contamination and staff handling food did not maintain a high degree of personal hygiene.

Officers also found a number of live insects in food storage and preparation areas which attributed to a lack of satisfactory cleaning practices.

The restaurant was given a rating of 1 under the food hygiene rating scheme, meaning that major improvement is necessary.

The rating must be displayed at the entrance to the premises, and will remain in place until the business is reassessed at its next scheduled inspection or until an application for a re-inspection is made by the owner.

The council confirmed to the court that conditions at the premises have subsequently improved to their satisfaction.