Food hygiene failings exposed at Notting Hill restaurant
Food hygiene failings at a well-known Notting Hill restaurant have led to a court case after council officers discovered evidence of mice, cockroaches, and contaminated food. Conor George Thomson-Moore, food business operator of Beach Blanket Babylon on Ledbury Road, pleaded guilty to four serious hygiene offences at City of London Magistrates’ Court.
The offences, which took place between September 2022 and March 2023, included food being contaminated with mouse droppings, inadequate pest control, poor cleaning standards, and a failure to act on an official Hygiene Improvement Notice. The court heard how council officers found cocoa powder and flaked almonds chewed through by rodents, and uncovered droppings around the premises. A separate inspection revealed the restaurant had no hot water and still had unresolved pest control issues.
The charges were brought by Kensington and Chelsea Council’s food safety team. Although charges against co-operator Robert Kenneth Newmark were withdrawn, Mr Thomson-Moore is due to be sentenced later this year.
“This kind of neglect puts public health at risk and damages trust in our food businesses,” said Cllr Cem Kemahli, Lead Member for Planning and Public Realm. “We won’t hesitate to take action against those who disregard basic food safety.”
Council officers had initially served an Emergency Hygiene Prohibition Notice in 2022 and later issued improvement notices in early 2023, but chose to prosecute following continued non-compliance and a poor track record.
London’s food industry is under increasing pressure to meet basic safety standards, and councils are stepping in where operators fall short. The Food Standards Agency has issued guidance for food businesses to maintain hygiene and avoid enforcement action.
For more local updates on food safety and city inspections, visit EyeOnLondon Kensington & Chelsea. We’d love to hear your views in the comments.
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