An Indian restaurant in the North Somerset village of Bleadon has had its alcohol licence revoked following serious labour exploitation concerns highlighted by Immigration Compliance and Enforcement (ICE) last year.
During an inspection on March 20, 2025, ICE uncovered five individuals working illegally in roles such as cooking, cleaning, and front-of-house duties. These workers had no right to work in the UK, were unpaid aside from minimal “pocket money” in one case, and were accommodated in six beds across three shared bedrooms that were supposed to be offices, indicating unauthorized living arrangements.
The restaurant, formerly operated by Cottage Massala Ltd, received a substantial £135,000 civil penalty in July 2025, which remains unpaid and has been forwarded to a debt collection agency. ICE recommended North Somerset Council revoke the premises’ alcohol licence, stating the venue had enabled criminal activity through labour exploitation.
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Although the restaurant is now under new ownership—purchased by Rabiul-Awal Jamal shortly after the inspection—and he asserts all current staff are legally employed with no one living on site, council licensing members were unmoved. Despite assurances from Mr. Jamal and his representative, highlighting a “massive change” and welcoming future compliance visits, councillors expressed skepticism about the extent of improvements.
On April 28, at a licensing hearing, the committee decided to revoke the licence to sell alcohol, citing a lack of sufficient change since the previous violations. Chair Peter Burden stated, “The committee have heard the evidence… and we do not believe there has been a significant change in the last year.”
This decision underscores the council’s commitment to addressing labour exploitation and ensuring licensed premises comply with legal and ethical standards.