Uxbridge restaurant fined more than £16,000 for hygiene failings

A fast-food restaurant and takeaway in London’s Uxbridge has been fined over £16,000 for operating with a dirty kitchen and a broken fridge.

Hutt Grill Ltd, trading as Hutt Grills, of 34 Cowley Mill Road, Uxbridge, appeared at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court on 13 May and pleaded guilty to seven offences in breach of the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013.

During a routine visit on 27 March 2024, the council’s food hygiene and safety officers discovered dirty kitchen and food preparation areas, equipment encrusted with dirt and grime, bins full of day-old rubbish, and no temperature controls for cooked and hot food.

They also found a broken fridge and a main walk-in freezer displaying a temperature of 30ºC – 48ºC above the recommended temperature.

The Hillingdon Council investigation concluded the restaurant had been posing a “significant health risk to customers” and gave it a food hygiene rating of zero, indicating the need for urgent improvement.

The owners temporarily closed the restaurant to improve the training of food handlers and provide accurate information of food allergens by 11 July.

However, during the council’s follow-up visit on 12 July, officers found the premises had no hot water or disinfectants to clean food preparation areas and no soap at the staff wash basin.

The employees also confessed the hot water had been unavailable for several days, contradicting the owners’ claims that the problem arose that morning.

Due to non-compliance with the improvement notices served by the council, the owners had to agree to close the business for a second time.

Following the hearing, the diner was fined £8,000 in addition to a victim surcharge of £2,000 and the council’s prosecution costs of £6,491.20.

Since the investigation, the restaurant has taken further steps to address its failings and in November 2024 was awarded a food hygiene rating of three.

Cllr Eddie Lavery, Hillingdon Council’s cabinet member for community and environment, said: “All businesses serving food have a legal responsibility to uphold basic standards of cleanliness and training for staff, and neglecting to do so will not be tolerated.  

“Our food health and safety team works hard to regularly inspect businesses and support them to make improvements, but we will not hesitate to intervene and take action if we find any that are not following regulations and putting their customers at risk of serious harm.”