Walsall bakery with dirty food containers is fined £10k over hygiene

Billy Bunter's Bakehouse, based in Park Street Arcade, was prosecuted for failings including having dirty food containers, floors and shelves, storing a bag of buttercream icing next to a packet of raw bacon and failing to address broken freezer lids.

Further counts surrounded the poor state of a cleaning cloth and anti-bacterial spray which were left hanging on a pipe above fruit pie cases.

In total the firm faced eight counts of failing to comply with or breaching Food Safety and Hygiene Regulations in relation to an inspection in March last year.

The company's director Kuldip Lal Ram, aged 43 of Winchcombe Close, Dudley, was also prosecuted and fined individually to the tune of £600.

At Walsall Magistrates Court yesterday prosecutor Ms Kerry Munro said: "During a routine environmental health inspection, very poor levels of cleanliness and hygiene were observed.

"Food was at risk of contamination while being prepared and overall standards fell short of what is required to run a food establishment.

"Staff appeared to have a poor understanding of food hygiene requirements and they were not properly supervised.

"The level of hygiene checks were not suitable, with the only checks made being to record fridge temperature and times that sandwiches were made.

"When interviewed after the inspection, Ms Ram said she thought that this was acceptable but she now understands what is required."

Ram pleaded guilty to all of the charges.

She said: "The business is not what it was, it isn't making that much money but I have managed to do all of the work required now.

"I had some time off prior to the inspection and left my sister in charge.

"It appears that she didn't follow instructions regarding cleaning and so the site ended up in this condition.

"We have never had a problem with environmental health inspections before."

The magistrates also imposed court cost of £1,093 and a victim surcharge of £120 for each of the eight counts