Businesses have been given an example of how not to go about running their food premises after a kebab house in Scotland admitted it faces an uncertain future on the back of several breaches of hygiene regulations.
The Shetland News has told how the owner of Turkish Delight, Saban Kusmus, was fined £1,200 after pleading guilty to nine charges. All of these related to the running of the Shetland takeaway and came after inspectors viewed the restaurant between August 2011 and January last year.
Mr Kusmus appeared at Lerwick Sheriff Court yesterday (January 24th) where the sentence was handed down.
There is some confusion over his conviction, after the court was told that it could make it harder for him to renew his alcohol licence. This is said to be vital to the successful running of the kebab house and the business might face a difficult future without it.
Defence agent Tommy Allan said: "This conviction will not help in relation to his application. He's determined to make a go of it so that he can support his family and he takes pride in his work."
Should the owner be looking to achieve the best results in the long run, he may be wise to invest in new cleaning products. These can be utilised to ensure the kitchen and other areas stay free of dirt and grease, while educating staff to use them effectively can be a good idea.
Closer scrutiny is now being placed on the standards at Turkish Delight and Mr Kusmus is said to be making an effort to cooperate with the authorities. If he is successful at doing so, the restaurant could be in much better shape shortly.
At a previous hearing, procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie had suggested the restaurant and its owner were guilty of "basic hygiene failings". He added that the public faced a very real threat as a result of this, meaning action had to be taken as soon as possible.
