Sydney charcoal chicken restaurant Rooster and Grill issued food safety, hygiene fines after council inspection

A popular Sydney charcoal chicken restaurant has been fined more than $4000 after food inspectors uncovered hygiene breaches including raw chicken stored against a door. See the photos.

Raw chicken meat stored against a door and a broken tap at a washing up sink were among the scenes which confronted food inspectors at a popular Sydney charcoal chicken restaurant.

Rooster & Grill in Artarmon has been issued five separate fines totalling $4400 following an inspection of the venue by Willoughby Council on August 10.

The fines, published on the public Food Authority register in December, included failing to store food in such a way that protected it from the likelihood of contamination and failing to maintain all fixtures, fittings and equipment to the required standard of cleanliness.

A Willoughby Council spokesman said the venue had been subject to follow-up inspections since August and was now meeting compliance standards.

Photos taken during the August inspection show raw chickens stored against a cool room door and on a washing-up bench.

A photo of uncovered lamb seen under raw chicken and fish.

The venue was inspected in August.

Uncovered roast lamb was seen by inspectors cooling under raw chicken and fish.

Another photo showed a bag of raw chicken wings being stored uncovered on a rack in the restaurant’s cool room.

A photo of chickens being stored against a door.

Raw chicken wings were seen stored uncovered.

According to the council, rust, discoloured drips and meat matter was observed on storage racks in the cool room, used marinade and an unclean salad spinner was seen on a washing up bench, and stagnant water and visible matter was observed inside a rice cooker.

Other areas of noncompliance included an insect zapper seen next to food in a food preparation area, a washing up sink with a broken tap, and another insect zapper installed above a mixer, juicer and a rice cooker.

The council inspected the venue after receiving a complaint by a customer alleging hair was found in food purchased from the business.

A photo taken during the inspection.

An insect zapper was seen above food preparation areas.

The North Shore Times contacted the venue owner for comment but did not receive a response at the time of publication.

A Willoughby Council spokesman said it was committed to protecting the health and safety of the public by actively upholding the Food Safety Standards.

The standards are the minimum standards that must be observed in a registered food business premises when storing and preparing food for sale to the public.

It is an offence against the Food Act 2003 to fail to meet the prescribed food safety standards.

A council spokesman said the council was “pleased to see that following the fines being issued further reinspections (of the venue) resulted in a satisfactory compliance result”.