Royal China restaurant faces licence review after ‘repeatedly employing illegal workers’

Marylebone dim sum restaurant Royal China could have its licence revoked after immigration officers found it was employing illegal workers on three separate visits.

The Baker Street restaurant, which opened in 2005 and can seat up to 250 guests, has been described by a Home Office immigration officer as “the worst licensed premises in Westminster that we are dealing with for illegal working”.

Three enforcement visits were made to the restaurant in October 2018, May 2019 and May 2024.

During the three visits immigration officers identified 20 employees working illegally and as a result the restaurant’s owners were fined a total of £470,000.

In a request to Westminster Council to revoke Royal China’s licence, an immigration officer said: “Despite our best efforts to try and drive compliance through engaging with the premises and by imposing civil penalties, it has had no meaningful lasting impact and the premises does not seem to be acting responsibly.”

One of the employees spoken to during an immigration raid said they washed dishes at the restaurant for 11 hours a day, six days a week and earned £400 a week.

This equates to just £6 an hour, far below the minimum wage of £11.44 an hour.

A representation from Westminster’s Licensing Authority said the terms of work “easily fall within the definitions of modern-day slavery and exploitation”.

The authority added: “This premises appears to be operating with complete disregard for the law and the licensing objectives”

The Metropolitan Police have also supported revoking the restaurant’s licence.

The restaurant is owned by the Royal China group, which has six restaurants in London. Its sites include the Michelin-recommended Royal China Club, also on Baker Street.

The accusations relate only to Royal China restaurant, 24-26 Baker Street, and there is no suggestion any other sites are involved.

The request to revoke the licence will be considered by Westminster Council’s licensing sub-committee at 10am tomorrow morning (Thursday 15 August).

The Caterer has contacted the Royal China group for comment.

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