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A Chinese takeaway has been ordered to pay £14,000 after a Hillingdon Council investigation discovered significant hygiene failures, with grease running down walls, flies landing on food, and food being stored in buckets and washing up bowls.

On Tuesday 21 April, Hau Group Limited, trading as Royal Jade Inn, of 6 Jolly’s Lane, Hayes, pleaded guilty at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court to one charge in breach of the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013 and the Materials and Articles in Contact with Food (England) Regulations 2012 after admitting a further 20 charges at an earlier hearing on Tuesday 6 January at the same court. 

The company was fined £8,000 for all 21 charges, and ordered to pay a £2,000 victim surcharge and £4,000 in prosecution costs. 

Following a complaint from a member of the public, the council’s food hygiene and safety officers first conducted an unannounced visit of the premises on 5 November 2024. 

The inspection revealed widespread hygiene failures, including inadequate cleaning standards in the kitchen and food preparation areas which were covered in dirt, a lack of disinfection methods, and no evidence of basic food safety controls, including food being stored in inappropriate containers. Owner, Den Tong Hau, subsequently agreed to voluntary close the premises to address the issues. 

Officers revisited the following day and found adequate improvements were made to permit the business to reopen.

However, a follow-up inspection on 4 December assessed that the premises was again in a poor condition, with food stored in dirty, damaged containers with unclear date labels, while staff were unable to explain the labelling, shelf life and preparation dates of high risk foods showing a lack of understanding of food safety procedures. There was also no recording of training or cleaning schedules. 

Hau was interviewed by officers in July 2025, where he claimed that vast improvements had been made since the last visit, and a further inspection took place on 13 August.  

This noted that the premises were filthy throughout, with the microwave, rice cooker, steamer storing cooked rice, door handles, taps and light switches all heavily soiled, and walls, extractor fans and food preparation equipment dripping with grease. The rear door chainmail curtain was damaged and tied back providing no effective barrier against pests, with flies observed landing on food. 

Washing up bowls were being used to store prepared food, raw shredded beef was being kept in a dirty, reused curry powder bucket, and powdered ingredients stored in the base of dirty, uncovered flip‑top bins inadequately protecting them from contamination or potential allergen risks. In addition, prepared and precooked foods were being held beyond the shelf life recommended by the Food Standards Agency. 

Hau attended a second interview in September acknowledging the failures uncovered and explained that significant improvements had since been made. However, the council decided that given the ongoing lack of compliance and the significant health risk posed to customers, the breaches were sufficiently serious to warrant prosecution. 

In mitigation, the defence outlined the business had made improvements since the inspections and Hau obtained a Level 3 Food Hygiene Certificate in catering in January 2026. 

The council conducted an annual inspection on 10 March 2026, and while it was noted that some improvement to hygiene practices had been made, the takeaway was awarded a food hygiene rating of two, indicating improvement is necessary and the council will continue to monitor compliance. 

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