Chippy becomes first NI business to be fined over food hygiene sticker

The rating system awards cafés, takeaways, shops and restaurants a food hygiene rating of zero through to five, which must be displayed near entrances.

PGMB Ltd, the owners of Café Fish, 340 Lisburn Road, Belfast, were fined £250 and ordered to pay £120 legal costs at Belfast Magistrates’ Court.

The restaurant had a food hygiene rating of one, indicating “major improvement necessary” to comply with the food hygiene requirements, at the time of the offence. It now has a rating of four, indiciating a ‘good’ level of compliance.

The court heard that Belfast City Council officers visited Café Fish on a number of occasions and repeatedly advised the owner of the need to display the rating before instigating legal proceedings.

Mark O’Neill, from the Food Standards Agency, said: ‘This ruling sends a clear message to businesses that if they fail to display their food hygiene rating action will be taken.”