Owner of Oriental Cuisine restaurant in Brantham is barred from running food businesses after premises found to be dirty for third time.

Shek Kwok in 2008

Shek Kwok, of Parker Road, Colchester, had admitted seven offences relating to the Oriental Cuisine restaurant in Cattawade Street, Brantham.

At the 60-year-old’s Ipswich Crown Court sentencing Recorder Simon Blackford made Kwok subject to an indefinite hygiene prohibition order and a community order with a three-month curfew from 9pm to 2am.

Kwok was also ordered to pay £750 costs and £60 to the victims’ fund.

Recorder Blackford said he was aware the order would deprive Kwok of his livelihood but due to his history and attitude it was required as his continued involvement in the management of food premises would pose a real risk to the public.

A mouldy chopping board (Image: Archant)

After the hearing Vincent Dréau, a Food and Safety Officer for Babergh District Council which brought the prosecution, said: “The sentence imposed on Mr Kwok today reflects not only the poor standards found on the premises last January, but the consistently poor levels of hygiene over several years.

“Over the years we have worked hard to help Mr Kwok achieve an adequate standard of food safety but he has failed to take advice or properly act on recommendations made.

Previously the court had heard the hygiene breaches were discovered during an unannounced visit by council officers on January 9 last year.

Officers found a wash basin full of water with droplets of oil on the surface blocked by rubber gloves which needed the waste pipe underneath dismantled in order to unblock it.

A blocked wash basin (Image: Archant)

The court was told there was a danger of cross-contamination between two sinks, a dirty washing up rack with packaged food, open raw egg shells and pieces of battered chicken on it.

Surfaces and floors were unclean. A fridge door was damaged and dirty. Cardboard was used to repair a problem with the door, A cardboard box in the fridge contained carrier bags with partially cooked pieces of duck.

Crispy seaweed in a bowl was also discovered in a dirty microwave and rice in a half open hot cupboard was at a temperature between 50 and 53 degrees when it should have been kept at 63 degrees. A floor grate was also damaged.

At the same premises in 2002 when it was called the Szechuan Inn there was an outbreak of salmonella. It resulted in successful civil claims by the individuals affected which ended with payouts by the restaurant’s insurers.

In 2004 Mr Kwok and his company were each fined £700 and ordered to pay costs for offences under two sections of the Food Safety Act.

In 2008 the Szechuan Inn breached three food hygiene offences. Kwok had to pay fines and costs totalling more than £16,000.