A popular Chinese restaurant in London accused of hiring and exploiting illegal workers has been stripped of its licence.
Westminster City Council revoked Fei Er Cottage's premises licence following a review on Thursday (June 5).
The local authority also rejected a request to transfer the licence to the current holder's ex-wife, Ms Xiaoyu Wang.
Home Office Immigration Enforcement requested the review in March after raiding the venue near St James Park last year and finding half of the restaurant's employees were alleged illegal workers.
Further probes found the venue had also breached its CCTV conditions, alcohol licence and at one point had traded without a valid premises licence.
The venue has been trading in the heart of Westminster for over 30 years. But it exploded in popularity recently after it used social media to promote the venue under the moniker “Uncle Paul”.
Quirky videos about the “best dumplings in London” have garnered more than four million likes and over 100,000 followers across TikTok and Instagram. It’s deep red basement dining area was featured as a set in Keira Knightley’s Netflix spy thriller Black Doves.
But it has now lost its licence with the decision only recently released on Westminster City's website
The Licensing Committee said Mr Feng Qui, the current Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS), had been involved in recruiting illegal workers, paying wages and agreeing rota hours. They also found Mr Qui was a director of the company holding the premises licence and the leaseholder for the site.
They said Mr Qui should have been aware of the importance of hiring legal workers after being subject to a unfounded allegation he had employed an illegal worker at another premises in 2018.
The committee said "any responsible Premises Licence Holder" would have severed links with Mr Qui and this should have happened in April when his ex-wife began trading as the sole director of the company running Fei Er Cottage in London Victoria.
The licensing committee heard the company did not dispute the Home Office's claim it had found four illegal workers on site.
A legal representative for the restaurant said it was under new management and staffing issues had been “put right”.
A representative of the business said Mr Qui had remained to support Ms Wang as she settled in and had planned to go to China to take care of his sick mother.
The committee was told Ms Wang had since ensured all staff are legal. Mr Qui told the committee everyone makes mistakes and urged councillors to give the restaurant and its 15 employees a chance.
During the meeting Ms Wang could not name her recruitment team or her current staff with any confidence and admitted she did not know how to operate the CCTV. She also had difficulties saying which recruitment company was being used, how much they charged, the profit from her business or how she will ensure the restaurant is run legally.
The decision means the returant has lost its licence to sell alcohol.
