Lambs on Lygon St: Pest infested Carlton Greek souvlaki restaurant defied council orders to close

A Lygon St mainstay continued serving customers despite health orders to close after rat faeces, dead mice and cockroaches were found at the restaurant. WARNING: Graphic images.

Lambs on Lygon St and owner Stephen Yannoulidis were fined after the pest infested Carlton restaurant was ordered to close.

A late night Carlton institution kept serving customers despite being ordered to close after dead mice, cockroaches and rat droppings were found littered throughout the grubby restaurant.

Lambs on Lygon St director Stephen Yannoulidis fronted Melbourne Magistrates’ Court to answer for multiple disgusting breaches of the food act.

Health inspectors swarmed Yannoulidis’s popular Lygon St hangout after Melbourne Council received several complaints mice and cockroaches were “observed” at the eatery.

Inspectors ran their eyes over the restaurant multiple times between August 2022 and March last year.

The court heard the inspectors uncovered “revolting” conditions throughout food preparation and customer service areas at the bustling Greek souvlaki restaurant.

Grubby breaches spotted by inspectors included “evidence” of “live pest activity”.

Inspectors also detected dead mice, “mature” cockroaches, rat droppings and rodent faeces near or where raw food was prepared for customers.

A dead cockroach was found in the cocktail shaker at the venue’s bar and a live cockroach was spotted among take away food containers.

A dead mouse found at Lambs on Lygon St. Supplied.

A dead mouse was spotted on the floor within the “service bar” and rodent faeces were also found in the customer service area.

Mice faeces was also spotted on the bench in the “servery” during each inspection.

Rat poo was also discovered in the cool room near raw onions and scattered throughout the business, the court was told.

Health inspectors also discovered food and grime build up on a rotisserie spit holder, rodent droppings at the base of a rusted dough mixer and raw meat in contact with packaged plastic water bottles.

Rat droppings found at Lambs on Lygon St. Supplied.

Dirt and grime was found throughout the kitchen and food preparation areas and disgusting “ponding” water seeped in the coolroom.

An inspector also spotted a kitchen door which was left open to the street was not supervised nor “pest proof”.

Council officers had enough and ordered Lambs on Lygon St close down to rectify its grubby standards on March 10 last year.

The council also ordered Lambs display the food act closure notice in a prominent position but Yannoulidis defied inspectors and kept his pest-riddled business open and serving customers for a week.

Dead mouse found in the service bar at Lambs on Lygon St. Supplied.

Yannoulidis, who has run Lambs at the same location since 1982, also failed to display the notice where it could be easily seen.

The defence submitted Yannoulidis “took his eye off the ball” due to personal reasons, the Covid pandemic and his lack of staff.

Lawyers argued Yannoulidis would suffer financially after his offending was be exposed in the media.

Raw meat next to take away plastic water bottles at Lambs on Lygon St. Supplied.

“There will be publicity, it would appear, that will be a significant punishment in itself …” the defence submitted.

“It’s not a perfect world, there are always pests and it’s all about taking the proper steps to try and mitigate and minimise the risks …

“He didn’t sit on his hands, he dealt with it (pest eradication) … although he was engaging in pest control clearly he didn’t engage them sufficiently, not enough was being done …

“The deceased rodent … that was found on the premises was of course deceased because of pest eradication but it then needs to be removed …

Cockroaches and cockroach droppings were discovered at Lambs on Lygon St. Supplied.

“If the pest eradicators weren’t removing the deceased rodents then it was up to (Yannoulidis) or his staff and this (rodent) was just missed …”

Yannoulidis will keep Lambs on Lygon St open for business, the court was told.

Magistrate Michael Gurvich said the food safety breaches were “revolting”.

“I note the prosecution submits there were persistent breaches over a period of time and this was not an isolated incident,” Magistrate Gurvich said.

“The defendants continued to trade despite the order (to close) … health and safety is critical in these sorts of matters … in the food service industry …

Grotty conditions inside the cool room at Lambs on Lygon St. Supplied.

“(The defence conceded) the public is interested in ensuring that food outlets are hygienic …

“In my view, the defendants do understand that these breaches of the food act are simply unacceptable …

“The breaches, in my view, are revolting, the public is entitled to a proper level of hygienic food service and to safely assume that is the case …

“The continuation to trade, despite being ordered not to, was of some concern … I accept … the defendants have taken the matter seriously and they have rectified the breaches …

“Consequently there are good prospects of rehabilitation …”

Yannoulidis and Lambs on Lygon St both avoided a conviction but were fined $25,000 each and ordered to pay $7727.50 in court costs.

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