Birmingham restaurant fined for multiple food safety breaches

Summarised from 3 outlets · 4 reports · Updated 12 Oct, 02:17 · Archive

A Birmingham Cantonese restaurant has been fined £3,500 after its director pleaded guilty to six breaches of food safety regulations.

Chung Yuen Yue, director of Sum Yue Restaurant in Tin Tin Food Hall on Masshouse Lane, Birmingham, pleaded guilty to six breaches of the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013 at Birmingham Magistrates Court on 8 October.

A routine inspection in August 2025 and a follow-up visit in January this year uncovered serious deficiencies with cleanliness throughout the premises. The problems included dirty floors, shelving, hot water heater, walls, cooker, pipework, fixtures, articles, containers, grease filters, fridge and microwave. Prosecutors also said there was an absence of food safety management systems in place during both inspections.

Hannan Aurangzeb, prosecuting for Birmingham City Council, told the court: 'Food safety regulations exist to minimise the risk of illness.' He said the defendant had failed to ensure equipment and fittings which came into contact with food were cleaned and disinfected.

In mitigation, Yue's solicitor Jatinder Sokhal said his client had fully cooperated with authorities and entered guilty pleas at the first opportunity. Sokhal explained that Yue, a chef for ten years, came to the UK approximately four years ago to fulfil his ambition of running his own restaurant. Sokhal added that Yue operates as 'a one-man band' with part-time staff and his wife helping with paperwork, and has since hired additional staff at significant cost to meet required standards.

Yue was described as 'deeply distraught' over the failings and accepted full responsibility. He has already made changes to improve the restaurant.

Magistrates fined Sum Yue Restaurant £3,500 and ordered a £1,400 surcharge plus costs of £3,477.30.

How it is being reported

• ‘Distraught’ Birmingham restaurant boss fined over hygiene failingsInspections uncovered deficiencies with cleanliness.Express & Star · 12 Oct, 02:00
• ‘Distraught’ Birmingham restaurant boss fined over hygiene failingsInspections uncovered deficiencies with cleanliness.Birmingham World · 12 Oct, 02:00
• Birmingham restaurant fined £3,500 after admitting food hygiene failingsSum Yue Restaurant in Birmingham has been fined £3,500BirminghamLive · 11 Oct, 11:04
• Birmingham restaurant boss 'deeply distraught' over food safety failingsBosses at Sum Yue Restaurant said they accepted full responsibility for the failings and had already made changes to improveBirminghamLive · 10 Oct, 05:30

In this story: Chung Yuen Yue · Sum Yue Restaurant · Birmingham · Birmingham Magistrates Court · Birmingham City Council

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