When food safety standards slip because of a lack of food safety system, the consequences aren’t just a slap on the wrist—they can be financially crippling, or even fatal for a business.
What Happens During an EHO Food Hygiene Inspection?
EHOs don’t announce when they’re coming. They’ll show up, clipboard in hand, and start poking around kitchens, store rooms, fridges, and freezers. They check things like:
How food is stored and handled
Cleanliness of equipment and work surfaces
Pest control
Staff hygiene training
Safe cooking and reheating practices
After their inspection, every business gets a rating from zero (urgent improvement necessary) to five (very good). That sticker in the window isn’t just for show—it can be the difference between a packed house and tumbleweeds.
The Fines: bad publicity and bad for the bank balance
A bad rating isn’t just bad publicity that will go in the local newspapers. If EHOs find serious problems—think rat infestations, filthy kitchens, moldy food, or staff skipping handwashing, they can hit businesses with heavy fines. These aren’t token penalties. We’re talking thousands, sometimes tens of thousands of pounds.
For example, in recent years:
A popular London takeaway was fined £24,000 after mouse droppings were found in the salad prep area.
A café in Manchester got a £10,000 penalty for serving food “unfit for consumption” with moldy bread and raw meat stored above ready-to-eat food.
A hotel in Birmingham was ordered to pay £35,000 after inspectors found cockroaches in the kitchen and a lack of basic cleaning.
The actual fine depends on several things—how severe the breach was, whether the owner has been in trouble before, how many people were put at risk, and how quickly problems were fixed. Sometimes, the court will factor in a business’s turnover, so a big chain might pay a lot more than a small café for the same offense.
It Can Get Worse: Prosecution and Closure
In the most serious cases, EHOs don’t just fine businesses—they shut them down, sometimes on the spot. If there’s an “imminent risk to health,” they can issue an Emergency Prohibition Notice. The doors are locked, and the business can’t reopen until the problems are fixed and the council gives the all-clear.
Repeat offenders and those who ignore warnings can be prosecuted in court. That’s when things get really ugly: criminal records, unlimited fines, and even jail time for the worst cases.
One notorious example: a takeaway in Liverpool was closed after multiple failed inspections, then prosecuted for reopening illegally. The owner was handed a suspended prison sentence and banned from running any food business in the future.
Why This Matters—for Everyone
For business owners, the message is simple: ignore food hygiene at your peril. Fines and closures aren’t rare, and one bad inspection can destroy a reputation overnight. For customers, it’s a reminder to check those food hygiene ratings before you order your next kebab or book a hotel breakfast.
In the end, a clean kitchen isn’t just about avoiding fines—it’s about trust. When that sticker in the window says you’re safe to eat, it should mean exactly that.
Food Safety Fines – Examples of Restaurant, Takeaway and Hotel Fines
Oblio’s Deli & Bistro in Westgate, South Kesteven – £32,000 fine: The owner of a deli and bistro faced a fine of over £32,000 for failing to comply with food hygiene regulations in 2024. The court heard about filthy conditions, poor cleaning, and inadequate staff training. Fridges in the premises were running at unsafe temperatures above 8°C to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria and toxins. Expired cheese stored in the fridges had also grown mould.
Javitri Indian Restaurant, Uxbridge, London – £40,000 fine: This Indian restaurant and takeaway was fined over £40,000 at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court in 2025 after a customer was hospitalised due to allergen contamination. The offences related to health and safety at work, food information, and food safety/hygiene regulations. The investigation found serious failings, including the risk to public health caused by improper handling of food allergens. During the investigation, council officers found a string of failures in the management of allergens, including nuts stored incorrectly in the kitchen, incomplete menu descriptions and uncertainty regarding recipes despite staff having undertaken the Food Safety Agency’s allergen training earlier that month.
Hutt Grill Restaurant & Takeaway, Uxbridge – £16,000 fine: Another fast food premises in Uxbridge was fined more than £16,000 in 2025 after EHO inspectors found a dirty kitchen and a broken fridge, both of which posed significant risks to customers. During a routine inspection on 27 March 2024, food hygiene officers found dirty kitchen areas, broken equipment, and a lack of fridge and freezer temperature controls. Cleaning products were available but there was no evidence they were being used. A fridge was broken, and the walk-in freezer showed a temperature of 30 degrees Celsius. Staff presented dirty food probes with no means to clean them. The premises were rated zero for food hygiene, meaning urgent improvement was required. The council issued two hygiene improvement notices and one improvement notice on 10 April. The business agreed to temporarily close.
DoubleTree by Hilton Aberdeen City Centre falsifying food safety records – £10,000 fine The hotel were accused of falsifying food safety records and re-labelling foods to extend their shelf life. During a February inspection, the EHO uncovered a “general lack of control over food safety risks” and a worrying lack of appreciation for food safety among kitchen staff. There was no stock control system, and more than 100 containers of out-of-date or unfit food items had to be disposed of. Some food was visibly unfit, past its use-by date, or not labeled at all.
Inspectors found sandwiches in the walk-in chiller covered with a wet, dirty chef cloth, meat stored on the floor, leaking units, and sticky surfaces. The orange juice machine was “dirty and rusty on the inside,” and a milk pergola was “dirty with a build-up of dried-on milk.” They also found evidence that delivery records were being falsified.
The EHO warned that if similar standards were found again, they would recommend prosecution. The hotel responded by improving practices and training, and a follow-up inspection found significant improvements.
This case shows how even large, branded hotels can face serious enforcement action—including the threat of prosecution—when food hygiene standards slip.
