Stink over rat fails to sink cafe
A RESTAURATEUR who painted over a dead rat on the floor instead of cleaning it up has been fined $30,000 for gross breaches of the food standards code.
But the Gold Coast eatery remains open for business, despite being previously shut down and fined for similar offences.
Jo's Brasserie in the Oasis shopping centre at Broadbeach, owned by fallen Surfers Paradise property tycoon Theo Morris, was the site of the grisly discovery.
Gold Coast City Council health inspectors who raided Jo's Brasserie last August photographed the rat, covered in thick red paint to match the floor under the main food servery.
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A massive fungus growth crawling with cockroaches was found nearby under the servery, along with heavily rusted stoves and food preparation areas.
Other rodents, both living and dead, were spotted by inspectors and rat faeces was littered across the kitchen.
The inspectors had acted on complaints from customers and staff, who alleged meals had been scooped out of rubbish bins and re-served.
Another customer cut into a fish, only to find it had not been gutted and cleaned. So horrified were they by the discovery, they took the plate home and froze it as evidence.
Following numerous complaints of food poisoning and unhygienic practices, inspectors slapped a closure order on the restaurant and ordered it to clean up its act.
Inspectors said the discoveries were among the worst hygiene offences they had witnessed, and noted a "distinct musty rodent odour" near the servery.
Southport Magistrate's Court yesterday found the restaurant and its owners guilty of three breaches of the food standards code.
Magistrate Ron Kilner said the state of the premises was "exposed by the disgusting photographs" tendered as evidence.
"It doesn't take an expert to see that the place is in a fairly unhygienic state," Mr Kilner said.
Morris ? once a millionaire hotel developer who has since fallen into financial strife ? was personally fined $25,000. The company controlling the restaurant, the unfortunately named Appetites International, was fined $5000.
It was the second order against the restaurateur. In March 2004, Morris was fined $15,000 and Appetites International $2000 for other food hygiene offences.
Outside, Morris said he would apply to have the case reheard, as he had not been present in the courtroom when the fine was handed down.
Onlookers likened the rodent-ridden kitchen to an infamous episode of the John Cleese comedy Fawlty Towers, in which waiter Manuel's pet ferret ran amok during a health inspection.
Jo's Brasserie was yesterday open for business, however only one customer ? a television cameraman carrying a hidden handycam ? was seated at its tables.
:cursin: :scared :cursin:
A RESTAURATEUR who painted over a dead rat on the floor instead of cleaning it up has been fined $30,000 for gross breaches of the food standards code.
But the Gold Coast eatery remains open for business, despite being previously shut down and fined for similar offences.
Jo's Brasserie in the Oasis shopping centre at Broadbeach, owned by fallen Surfers Paradise property tycoon Theo Morris, was the site of the grisly discovery.
Gold Coast City Council health inspectors who raided Jo's Brasserie last August photographed the rat, covered in thick red paint to match the floor under the main food servery.
Advertisement:
A massive fungus growth crawling with cockroaches was found nearby under the servery, along with heavily rusted stoves and food preparation areas.
Other rodents, both living and dead, were spotted by inspectors and rat faeces was littered across the kitchen.
The inspectors had acted on complaints from customers and staff, who alleged meals had been scooped out of rubbish bins and re-served.
Another customer cut into a fish, only to find it had not been gutted and cleaned. So horrified were they by the discovery, they took the plate home and froze it as evidence.
Following numerous complaints of food poisoning and unhygienic practices, inspectors slapped a closure order on the restaurant and ordered it to clean up its act.
Inspectors said the discoveries were among the worst hygiene offences they had witnessed, and noted a "distinct musty rodent odour" near the servery.
Southport Magistrate's Court yesterday found the restaurant and its owners guilty of three breaches of the food standards code.
Magistrate Ron Kilner said the state of the premises was "exposed by the disgusting photographs" tendered as evidence.
"It doesn't take an expert to see that the place is in a fairly unhygienic state," Mr Kilner said.
Morris ? once a millionaire hotel developer who has since fallen into financial strife ? was personally fined $25,000. The company controlling the restaurant, the unfortunately named Appetites International, was fined $5000.
It was the second order against the restaurateur. In March 2004, Morris was fined $15,000 and Appetites International $2000 for other food hygiene offences.
Outside, Morris said he would apply to have the case reheard, as he had not been present in the courtroom when the fine was handed down.
Onlookers likened the rodent-ridden kitchen to an infamous episode of the John Cleese comedy Fawlty Towers, in which waiter Manuel's pet ferret ran amok during a health inspection.
Jo's Brasserie was yesterday open for business, however only one customer ? a television cameraman carrying a hidden handycam ? was seated at its tables.
:cursin: :scared :cursin:
