REPEATED food hygiene breaches at two branches of an Indian eatery in Reading have seen their operator heavily fined following a prosecution by the Council.
Hungry Budd Ltd, which operates the Biryani Boyzz restaurants and takeaways at 109 Oxford Road and 63 Wokingham Road, was found to have consistently poor food hygiene standards at both sites.
Reading Council Food and Safety Officers conducted routine inspections at both locations in 2025, where they identified consistently poor food hygiene standards throughout the premises.
An initial food hygiene inspection in January 2025 was followed by further visits through to October 2025.
Officers identified a range of serious food safety failures – unclean equipment and utensils, lack of food safety controls over safe temperature for food storage, lack of training and supervision of food handlers and unacceptable food safety management.
Conditions observed at 63 Wokingham Road included no hot water for twenty days. At both premises, food was found to be left well outside safe temperature control, there was dirty and broken cooking equipment, and generally poor cleanliness throughout the premises.
This included dirty walls and doors, as well as a tray containing spilt rodent bait.
Hungry Budd Ltd. was given multiple opportunities to make improvements, with support and guidance from the Council’s Food & Safety team.
However, as it failed to continuously uphold improved hygiene standards, the decision was taken to pursue formal enforcement action.
At Reading Magistrates’ Court on 30 March 2026, Hungry Budd Ltd was fined £12,000. The company was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £2,000 and prosecution costs of £5,317.50 to Reading Borough Council.
Matthew Golledge, Public Protection Manager at Reading Borough Council, said:
“The safety of residents and visitors in Reading is our absolute priority. Food businesses have a legal duty to uphold the best hygiene standards, and the public trust them to do so.
“However, when an operator repeatedly fails to put things right despite advice and support from our officers, we will not hesitate to take enforcement action.
“This successful prosecution brought by our diligent officers reflects the seriousness of the risks identified and reiterates our message to businesses across the borough that poor standards will not be tolerated.”
