One reason included cobwebs and spider egg sacs in preperation areas
11:17, 12 May 2026Updated 11:23, 12 May 2026
A closure order was handed down by the FSAI
Two Cork restaurants were served with closure orders by HSE Environmental Health Officers in April.
The businesses, a Chinese restaurant in West Cork and an Asian Street food takeaway in the city, were issued Closure Orders for breaches of food safety legislation, pursuant to the Food Safety Authority of Ireland Act and European Union Regulations.
They were among five closure orders served on food businesses in Ireland last month.
The two in Cork were: Lily Restaurant at South Square, Rosscarbery and Yama at Gerald Griffin Street in Blackpool.
Lily Restaurant was visited by an HSE health inspector on April 24, 2026, who ordered the premises to be closed for a period under the FSAI Act (1998). They noted issues, including “an active rodent infestation” and “the presence of rodent droppings.”
In notes published by the FSAI, the inspector noted that “the premises was not maintained in a clean condition. Examples include rodent droppings present in the food store room and kitchen area.”
Yama was visited by a health inspector on April 23, 2026, and the restaurant has since reopened after complying with the safety standards. The Blackpool takeaway reopened just two days later, on April 25, after an inspector revisited the restaurant and lifted the closure order.
The closure order was issued under the EU Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation Regulations (2020) after an HSE inspector found evidence of non-compliance in relation to cleaning, structure, prevention of contamination, food allergen information and food safety culture.
The closure order, published by the FSAI, notes that the inspector saw “an accumulation of grease and food debris,” “grease, debris and mould particles” on the door of the staff toilet and rear yard, “food debris, grease and general dirt in the rear storage areas and the preparation kitchens. There was also “cobwebs and spider egg sacs” in the rear preparation kitchen.
“Flaking plaster and mould growth were noted in various parts of the ceiling,” the inspectorate noted, and a “hole was noted in the door to the external yard, which was large enough to allow potential pest ingress” as well as “mould growth and dampness” on the walls of the staff toilet.
The HSE inspector found “a container of cooked shredded chicken was stored in the walk-in cold room with a brown paper carrier bag used to soak up the oil” and boxes for takeaway were not covered. A “large container storing flour” had a broken lid.
As for allergen non-compliance, “Salt and Chilli Chicken Balls had Gluten and Eggs declared, however, it was missing the allergens soya and milk”, and “Chicken Balls had Gluten and Soya declared, however, it was missing the allergen milk.”
The inspector said, “There was no evidence of a food safety culture” and noted: “The absence of an appropriate food safety culture and lack of management oversight poses a risk to food safety and public health.”
The restaurant closure order was lifted from Yama on April 25.
Elsewhere, restaurants that had closure orders included CraftCup Limited in Dublin, Empoli Restaurant in Dublin, and Doolys Fish and Chips in Tramore, Waterford.
Mr Greg Dempsey, FSAI Chief Executive, said: “Every food business must have effective food safety management systems in place to ensure that food is stored, prepared and served safely.
“Cleanliness, pest control, proper staff training and food traceability are fundamental requirements and are essential to protecting public health. Consumers have a right to safe food, and food businesses have a legal responsibility to ensure the food they provide to consumers is safe to eat.”
“We strongly encourage food businesses to continuously improve their food safety standards via regular training, availing of our free online learning portal, as well as promoting a strong culture of food safety within their businesses,” added Mr Dempsey.