A Cardiff restaurant proprietor and his business have faced combined fines exceeding £3,500 following the discovery of a cockroach infestation and subsequent breaches of food safety regulations. Motiur Rahman, aged 51 and based in Cardiff, who operated Spice Kitchen Ltd, entered a guilty plea at Cardiff Magistrates' Court on 2 September to violations of food hygiene legislation.
Inspectors from Shared Regulatory Services (SRS), the body responsible for environmental health, trading standards and licensing enforcement across the region, visited the premises in Birchgrove in October 2024. At that time, the establishment was operating under the name Delhi Cuisine and was found to be actively trading while a cockroach infestation was occurring on the premises.
Following the initial closure, the business reopened under a new trading name, Grand Sylhet. However, officers conducting further inspections discovered that the renamed restaurant was operating without an adequate supply of hot water—a fundamental requirement for food safety compliance. The venue was subsequently shut down again until water supply was restored to acceptable standards.
During their investigations, SRS officials identified multiple serious breaches of food safety protocols. The newly named establishment was engaged in what regulators classified as "high-risk handling activities" involving both raw and ready-to-eat food products. Critically, the premises lacked adequate facilities for safe hand and equipment washing, creating unacceptable contamination risks.
What the investigation revealed
The conditions discovered during the inspections presented significant dangers to public health. According to local authority records, the combination of pest infestation, inadequate water supply, and unsafe food handling practices demonstrated a pattern of non-compliance with fundamental hygiene standards.
Food businesses operating in the UK are legally obligated to maintain appropriate food hygiene standards and ensure that food preparation takes place in a safe environment. The violations identified at this Cardiff location fell significantly short of these requirements.
Enforcement and penalties
Rahman personally received a fine of £240 and was ordered to pay £200 in costs, along with a victim surcharge of £96. His company, Spice Kitchen Ltd, faced a substantially larger penalty of £2,000, with an additional £200 in costs and a victim surcharge of £800.
Ed Stubbs, the Cardiff council cabinet member overseeing SRS responsibilities, emphasised the seriousness of the breaches:
Food businesses have a legal responsibility to ensure appropriate food hygiene standards are maintained and ensure food is prepared in a safe environment. The conditions identified during these inspections presented unacceptable risks and required immediate action to protect public health.
Stubbs added that the council remains committed to enforcement:
We will continue to take robust enforcement action where serious food safety breaches are found and will not hesitate to prosecute businesses that fail to comply with food hygiene legislation.
Broader context of food safety enforcement
This case reflects an ongoing pattern of food hygiene violations in the Cardiff area. A similar enforcement action in 2020 resulted in fines against a takeaway café that was found to be infested with cockroaches, demonstrating that such breaches are not isolated incidents. Regulatory authorities across Wales continue to prioritise the protection of public health through rigorous inspection and prosecution of non-compliant businesses.
According to enforcement statements from the council, SRS will maintain its commitment to taking decisive action wherever serious food safety violations are identified, with prosecution remaining a tool available to protect consumers.
Key facts
- The restaurant was found trading during a cockroach infestation in October 2024 under the name Delhi Cuisine
- After voluntary closure and reopening as Grand Sylhet, inspectors discovered the business was operating without hot water
- Combined fines totalled over £3,500, with the company facing a £2,000 penalty and the owner a £240 fine
- The premises lacked safe facilities for hand and equipment washing while handling both raw and ready-to-eat foods
- Regulatory authorities have committed to continued enforcement action against food safety breaches
