A Chinese takeaway in West London has been ordered to pay £14,000 after a council investigation found serious hygiene failures.
Hau Group Limited, trading as Royal Jade Inn in Hayes, pleaded guilty at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 21 April to one charge under food safety regulations. The company had already admitted a further 20 charges at an earlier hearing on 6 January.
The court fined the business £8,000 for all 21 charges, and it was also ordered to pay a £2,000 victim surcharge and £4,000 in prosecution costs. The case followed a complaint from a member of the public, which led Hillingdon Council food safety officers to carry out an unannounced inspection on 5 November 2024.
During that visit, officers found widespread hygiene issues, including dirty kitchen and food preparation areas, a lack of disinfection, and food being stored in inappropriate containers.
Owner Den Tong Hau agreed to voluntarily close the premises at the time. Inspectors returned the next day and said enough improvements had been made for the business to reopen. However, a further inspection on 4 December found conditions had worsened again, with food stored in dirty containers and staff unable to explain labelling or food safety procedures.
A later inspection in August 2025 found the premises “filthy throughout”, with grease on surfaces including equipment, walls and switches. Flies were seen landing on food, and damaged fittings meant there was little protection against pests. Officers also found washing up bowls being used to store food, raw meat kept in reused buckets, and ingredients stored in dirty, uncovered containers. Some food was being kept beyond recommended shelf life guidance.
Despite the owner later claiming improvements had been made, the council decided the repeated failures and risk to customers were serious enough to prosecute.
The business has since taken steps to improve standards, including the owner gaining a Level 3 Food Hygiene Certificate in January 2026.
A further inspection in March 2026 found some improvements, but the takeaway was given a food hygiene rating of two, meaning improvement is still necessary. The council said it will continue to monitor the business.
Daniel Kennedy, Hillingdon Council’s Corporate Director of Residents Services, said: “Every business serving food has a legal responsibility to uphold basic standards of cleanliness. Our food health and safety team works hard to carry out inspections and support venues to make improvements but will not hesitate to intervene and take action when customers are at risk of serious harm.”
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