The flamboyant boss of an award-winning curry house which traded on its historic connections has gone on the run after being charged with multiple food safety and hygiene offences.
Sajjadur Aziz Malik, 49, is believed to have fled the country today after environmental health inspectors found cockroaches at his restaurant – alive and dead – inside almond flour, sugar and spices.
Malik’s restaurant, The Cottage, is situated in a 16th century medieval former guesthouse in Warrington, Cheshire, where Oliver Cromwell was reputed to have stayed during the English Civil War.
The site was also the backdrop when the leader of the Roundheads sent dispatches proclaiming victories over King Charles I Scottish Royalists.
Malik’s eaterie even won a regional award in 2018 at the annual Tommy Miah Awards organised by the celebrity chef Tommy ‘The Curry King’ Miah whilst his customers included comedian Roy ‘Chubby’ Brown.
But the restaurant shut down in December 2024 after getting a zero star food hygiene rating the previous July. Investigators from Warrington Borough Council said that live and dead cockroaches were found in refrigerators, freezers and chillers and even a food preparation bowl.
At Warrington Magistrates Court a warrant was issued for Malik’s arrest, after he failed to face JPs accused of 11 allegations under the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations of 2013.
JPs adjourned the case for two months to give investigators a chance to locate Malik, whose firm Samco Spice Limited also faces food safety offences.
Sajjadur Aziz Malik (pictured) is believed to have fled the country after receiving multiple food safety and hygiene charges
The Cottage Indian restaurant in Warrington, Cheshire (pictured) traded on its history, which had links to Oliver Cromwell
According to his Facebook Malik, from Oldham, Greater Manchester, is now living in Bangladesh where he is running a business which encourages young entrepreneurs.
He claims to have a media and broadcasting background and to have previously worked with Channel 4.
Companies House lists the fugitive as having run a Bangladeshi TV company and a multi-media organisation.
In court, Rachel Maddocks, a lawyer representing Warrington Borough Council said: ‘The director, Mr Malik, we believe has fled the country.
‘We cannot find him.
‘There was a bench warrant on the last occasion but the company has not been wound up. It is still live. So, the prosecution should proceed but until we can find that director we cannot do anything.
‘We can adjourn to see if he reappears. That would be helpful.’
Miss Maddocks said that the company director was the sole officer able to represent Samco Spice.
Charges accuse the restaurant of failing ‘to keep the cold storage units on the ground floor within the premises in such good order, repair and condition to minimise any risk of contamination, in that live and dead cockroaches were found in refrigerators, freezers and chillers’.
Further allegations against Malik read: ‘You failed to keep all articles, fittings and equipment with which food comes into contact effectively cleaned and where necessary disinfected, in that a food preparation bowl contained a cockroach.
Now, the restaurateur-turned-fugitive is believed to be living in Bangladesh, where he runs a business encouraging young entrepreneurs
They continued: ‘You failed to have adequate procedures in place to control pests, in that there were living and dead cockroaches and their young throughout the food preparation and storage areas of the premises.
‘You failed to ensure that ingredients are kept in appropriate conditions designed to prevent harmful deterioration and to protect them from contamination in that in that non sealing flip-lid bins were used to store ingredients and cockroaches were found in almond flour, sugar and spices.’
Other allegations against the company include failing to keep food premises clean and maintained in good repair including, for example, the vinyl floor covering in the kitchen and the first floor food preparation and storage areas.
The cooking range and a non-working refrigerator used for storing desserts was found to be unhygienic along with the walk-in storage refrigeration units on the first floor, and the external extraction units and window sill which were heavily encrusted in grease.
In addition, the restaurant also alleged to have failed to make available an adequate number of washbasins, suitably located and designated for cleaning hands.
A last charge stated the company ‘failed to ensure food handlers were supervised and instructed and/or trained in food hygiene matters commensurate with their work activity as the diary sheets were not accurately recording relevant matters’.
The case has been adjourned until March 11.
The restaurant opened in 2002 and underwent a refurb approved by the National Trust. It was previously described as ‘the finest Indian and Bangladeshi cuisine in Cheshire’ and was rated four stars on TripAdvisor.
A new Indian restaurant called Flaver’s now occupies the site and has gained a five-star food hygiene rating.
History tells how the armies of both Cromwell and the Earl of Derby stayed near the old town centre of Warrington.
Popular legend holds that Cromwell lodged in the cottage on August 20, 1648, to be precise.
A plaque on the building commemorates the link to Cromwell and his victory at the Battle of Winwick Pass, which led to the surrender of Scots forces on August 25.
The defeat of Royalist armies in the north of England ultimately hastened the end of the second English Civil War and led to the execution of Charles I in January 1649.
