Owners of Kenilworth shop fined more than £19,000 for repeated food hygiene failures

Avtar Sidhu, representing AS Roselands Ltd, and Sukhjit Sidhu, who run Sukhi’s Simply Fresh in Roselands Road, pleaded guilty to 15 offences at Nuneaton Magistrates Court on Tuesday March 28.

The court heard there were no adequate procedures in place to show when chilled foods had been put out on display, when items had been defrosted or cooked and when they should have been removed from sale. This resulted in the sale of a mouldy sausage roll.

In addition there was no proper system in place for checking the temperature of baked-off savouries and chilled foods. There was also evidence of food being displayed at unsafe temperatures.

The court also heard of recurring failures to maintain the cleanliness of the store room and chest freezers and a serious disregard to disposing of waste safely.

Inspectors found decaying food strewn across the shop’s rear yard which was likely to attract flies and vermin.

Despite repeated intervention of Warwick District Council’s Food Safety team and the advice given on making improvements, Mr and Mrs Sidhu consistently failed to improve the shop’s hygiene practices.

The council’s portfolio holder for health and community protection Cllr Moira-Ann Grainger said: “Warwick District Council takes the health of our residents very seriously.

“We work closely with food establishments to encourage the highest of standards. We will always take enforcement action against businesses who fail to comply with the standards required of them and as a result put the health of our residents at risk.”

AS Roselands Ltd was fined of £11,507.06 including costs and Mrs Sidhu was fined £7,507.06 including costs.

The shop made headlines last Christmas in the KWN when it offered to give away food to vulnerable people in Kenilworth.