Restaurant owner fined for failing to display food hygiene rating

Blerdo Bros Limited and its director Mr Sofoklis Christou operate Colosseo restaurant in Bridgend which had received a food hygiene rating of ‘1’ in January 2022

December 12th, 2022

A visit by officers in May 2022 revealed that the company had failed to display the food hygiene rating sticker in the location and manner prescribed by the legislation. In addition during the investigation Mr Christou misled officers by claiming that the business had changed hands when it had not.

The case was listed before Cardiff Magistrates Court on December 9th. Mr Christou did not attend and there was no one else there to represent the company.  

The company was found guilty of two offences under the Food Hygiene Rating (Wales) Act 2013 for failing to display the sticker and obstructing the officers in their enquiries. Mr Christou was found guilty of one offence of obstructing officers. 

The company was fined a total of £1500, ordered to pay costs of £1277 and a court surcharge of £150. Mr Christou was fined £750, ordered to pay costs of £796 and court surcharge of £75.

Chair of the Joint Committee for Shared Regulatory Services, Cllr Ruba Sivagnanam, said:

“The food hygiene rating scheme is mandatory in Wales. It allows members of the public to decide if they want to dine at a restaurant based on its food hygiene standards. Failure to display the rating is a way to mislead potential customers, and this is why it is a criminal offence.

“Mr Christou clearly did not want the public to know that major hygiene improvements were needed at his restaurant, and this has resulted in him receiving a substantial fine for his actions.”