Dirty Coulsdon cafe put customers' health at risk

10:09am Wednesday 4th July 2001

A filthy Coulsdon cafe is facing closure after the owner was fined £3,500 for 11 food hygiene offences which put the health of customers at risk.

Candida Brown, 51, who lives above Brown's Cafe in Chipstead Valley Road, was tackled by two environmental health visits made late last year.

The court heard how Ms Brown had left stacks of dirty crockery breeding germs in the sink and a baked bean spillage behind a kitchen fitting, stored food at the wrong temperature and kept dirty kitchen equipment.

This was the scene that greeted the inspectors in November, despite the hygiene warnings given to her two months earlier.

There was also an absence of hygienic hand-drying facilities and Ms Brown used her dirty apron to wipe her hands.

Croydon Council's lawyer Richard Orridge claimed the cafe was fly-infested, but this was denied by defence lawyer James Burton.

Mr Burton added that Brown had experienced financial difficulties, hence the drop in consumer standards.

Her debts prevented her from hiring a cleaner to do the washing up, but since the visit by inspectors, she had hired two members of staff to help out.

Ms Brown must fork out £250 a month to pay the fine but she may have to sell up and leave as a result of the court action.

Magistrate Frieda Ali told Ms Brown her actions had put her customers “seriously at risk.”

Ms Brown broke down in tears when she heard the sentence and shouted “Thanks a lot!” at the local police officer as she stormed out of court.

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