The owners of Golden Crown, 101 Main Rd, avoided a conviction at Ballarat Magistrates Court yesterday after they pleaded guilty to nine counts of conducting a food business without complying with requirements.

The court was told a City of Ballarat environment health officer inspected the restaurant, which is popular with tourists, on July 10 last year.

Prosecutor Carole Timmins said the officer found a number of problems in the restaurant, including a build-up of food on the cool room floor, an accumulation of dirt and food on cooking utensils and equipment, and an electronic insect device surrounded by dead insects.

``The public was placed at risk,'' Ms Timmins said.

She said there were a number of problems where there was a potential contamination risk, including the discovery of eight raw chickens defrosting in dirty sink full of water.

The court was told the City of Ballarat made several follow-up inspections where some problems were evident while others had been improved.

Defence barrister Domenic Cafari said his clients, Henry and Sandra Thai, acted on the recommendations mady by the City of Ballarat.

``There people were pro-active and attended to these matters as best they could,'' Mr Cafari said.

He tendered photos to the court taken a year after the inspection, saying there had been a very dramatic improvement to the restaurant, including new stainless steel benches and shelves, repainting, cool room service and plaster repairs.

He said the Thai's had put new procedures in place for temperature logs, cleaning schedules and pest control logs.

Mr Cafari said Mr Thai had part-owned and operated two successful restaurants in Melbourne in the 1980s, while his wife ran the Ballarat restaurant.

He said they had operated Golden Crown, under H.D Thai Trading, for 30 years.

Mr Cafari said the Thai's were dealing with the death of two family members around the time of the offending and ``they did well to keep the restaurant going and look after the family''.

Magistrate Kay Robertson told the Thai's that people who ran food businesses had standards to provide to the community.

However, she said the Thai's had addressed the problems and it was unlikely it would occur again.

The Thai's were released on a 12-month good behaviour bond without conviction and ordered to pay $2000 each to the court fund. The company was fined $2000.