Barry restaurateur fined for displaying incorrect food hygiene rating
A Barry restaurateur has been fined for displaying an incorrect food hygiene rating on his former eatery’s website, following a successful prosecution by the Vale of Glamorgan Council through Shared Regulatory Services.
Ali Deveci, who previously operated Izmir Greek and Turkish restaurant on Broad Street in Barry, claimed to have a food hygiene rating of five when its actual score was in fact one.
This happened in October 2017 and again five months later and Mr Deveci plead guilty to two offences under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 during a recent hearing at Cardiff Magistrates Court.
He was fined £240, £120 for each offence, ordered to pay costs of £120 and a victim surcharge of £30.
Mr Dececi confirmed to the court that he is no longer involved with the business.
Cllr Hunter Jarvie, Vale of Glamorgan Council Cabinet Member for Regulatory and Legal Services, said: “Hygiene ratings are not just window stickers, they refer to the standard of hygiene within a business and are an important reference for customers.
“Food outlets need to satisfy a range of specific criteria to gain a rating of five. This requires commitment to good practice and there is no shortcut to achieving this.
“Mr Deveci deliberately misled people about his business’ hygiene rating by claiming to have one vastly superior to what was actually the case.
“I hope this prosecution sends out a clear message that hygiene ratings are important assessments of food outlets and anyone found to be doctoring them will face serious consequences."
Shared Regulatory Services is a partnership between Bridgend, Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan Councils which brings together the Environmental Health, Trading Standards and Licensing functions of the three local authorities.