Environmental health officers from Wolverhampton council visited The Millions Kitchen on Showell Road, Wolverhampton in August 2023 to discover a cockroach infestation.
During the investigation, which had been initiated by a complaint the council received, the officials found food preparation surfaces, equipment and food packaging all to have been contaminated by contact with cockroaches
Chris Onohwano Igomuaye and Sikiru Owolewa, directors of The Millions Kitchen, both pleaded guilty to a breach of The Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013 during a hearing at Dudley Magistrates Court on Friday 7 February.
The same charge was brought against the business, and a guilty plea was also entered.
The business has been fined £4,000, ordered to pay costs of £5,554 and a victim surcharge of £1,600. Igomuaye and Owolewa were each fined £270, ordered to pay costs of £500 and a victim surcharge of £108.
The business’s last Food Hygiene Rating inspection took place on 15 September 2023, scoring a 4 rating (good), according to the Food Standards Agency website.*
“Cockroach infestations indicate a dreadful level of food hygiene which can cause significant illness,” commented councillor Bhupinder Gakhal, cabinet member for resident services at City of Wolverhampton Council.
“The business and directors were knowingly putting their customers at risk and I’m pleased that the court recognised the severity of the offences committed.
“The council works very hard to protect city residents and visitors from the sort of risks that were found in The Millions Kitchen and I hope other businesses take note of the fact that we take food hygiene very seriously in Wolverhampton.”
*Accurate at time of writing
