A BARNSLEY restaurant faces a fine and costs of almost £4,000 for substituting cheaper beef meat in a lamb curry meal.
Barnsley Magistrates were told that a food standards officer bought a lamb tikka masala from Jaffran Restaurant, Park Street, Wombwell - but it turned out to be cheaper beef meat.
Mohammed Hossain was charged under food safety legislation with misleading customers by providing meat which was not of the type demanded and failing to provide traceability information for the meat he was using.
He blamed his supplier for providing the wrong meat, but was unable to provide invoices showing that he had been buying lamb meat for the restaurant.
Mr Hossain pleaded guilty to the charges and was fined £2,800 plus £1,008.53 costs and a £180 victim surcharge.
Council spokesman Christina Heeley said: “Substitution of beef for lamb in takeaway meals is a widespread food fraud which we are committed to eliminate.
"It simply isn’t fair on either consumers or businesses trading honestly.”
