Isle of Wight Indian Restaurant Hit with Huge £35,684 Hygiene Fine
An Isle of Wight Indian eatery has been slammed with a hefty £35,684 fine after failing to meet basic hygiene standards. Shahanaz (IOW) Ltd, which runs the Shahanaz Indian restaurant on Sandown Road, Lake, faced the penalty at the Isle of Wight Magistrates’ Court this week.
Owner Fined Over Food Safety Failings
Abdul Hamid, the man behind the company, pleaded guilty to four serious offences. These included not protecting food from contamination and lacking proper staff training and supervision. Hamid himself was handed a £1,295 fine.
Ignored Warning Notices, Court Hears
The court was told the restaurant ignored an improvement notice from the council after failing to raise its poor food hygiene ratings over two years. Amanda Gregory, strategic manager for regulatory and community safety services, said:
“We have a high number of food establishments on the Island and the majority operate to a very good standard. For those which do not meet the requirements, officers take time to provide advice and information to assist them in complying with food hygiene standards. However, this is the third prosecution of a food business this year, which should act as a clear message that we will not hesitate to take enforcement action if standards do not improve.”
The council was also awarded £3,514 in costs, sending a stark warning to other food businesses to clean up their act—or face the consequences.
