The Big Dog Diner in Golden Square and its owner have been fined $50,000 for multiple breaches of the food standards code.
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Business owner Kristopher Samuel Stephens, pleaded guilty to 19 separate charges in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court this week, while a further 90 charges were withdrawn by the City of Greater Bendigo.
Big Dog Diner Pty Ltd was convicted on 18 separate charges.
Each breach attracted a $10,000 penalty for Stephens and a $40,000 penalty for the business, but the aggregate fine means Mr Stephens will only be $50,000 out of pocket, plus the city’s costs.
In imposing the fine, magistrate Franz Holzer said if not for the early guilty pleas, Stephens’ penalty would have been $40,000, while the fine imposed on the business would have been $100,000.
Stephens was convicted on 13 counts of failing to comply with a provision of the food standards code, one count of selling food with an incorrect package or label, two counts of contravening a food premises order, one count of failing to ensure a food safety program was kept at the premises and one count of operating a food business from an unregistered premises.
Stephens and the Big Dog Diner were each also ordered to pay the council’s costs of $8466.
City of Greater Bendigo safe and healthy environments manager Caroline Grylls said while the council would not force the restaurant to close, its officers would continue to conduct regular inspections to ensure the business complied with the Food Act in future.
Ms Grylls said where non-compliances were identified the council would “take the necessary steps to achieve compliance”.
“The city regularly inspects food businesses in the municipality for their compliance with the Food Act,” she said.
“The matter before the court has now been finalised. The city is serious about food safety and protecting the health of our community.
“This case highlights the importance of co-operation of food businesses with the city on matters of food safety.”