Pub kitchen boss fined over dirty fridges and surfaces
The boss of a pub kitchen in Stourbridge has been ordered to pay costs and fines of almost £3,000 after a string of hygiene problems were discovered.
Stephen Hull, who ran the franchised pub kitchen at the Robin Hood Inn in Collis Street, Amblecote, pleaded guilty to six offences under the food hygiene regulations at Dudley Magistrates on Thursday.
Dudley Council environmental health officers inspected the kitchen in June 2014 and gave it a hygiene rating of just one out of 5.
Officers revisited the kitchen in October 2014 to check that the necessary improvements had been made and found the premises and equipment were dirty and not maintained in good condition.
Walls and sockets were dirty and walls and ceilings had flaked paintwork. Refrigerators, microwaves and the cooking range were also dirty and surfaces in the refrigerator were rusty. Raw minced beef was stored next to ham and cheese rolls and staff had not been trained in food hygiene and there was no food safety management system in place.
The court heard that Hull no longer runs the kitchen franchise at the pub.
Magistrates ordered him to pay a fine of £1,800 as well as £1,068 costs and a victim surcharge of £30.
Councillor Rachel Harris, cabinet member responsible for health, said: "While we prefer to work with businesses to make sure they abide by the law, we will not hesitate to take legal action against any food business owners who do not take our advice on board and who fail to meet their legal responsibilities.
"Nearly half of all food outlets in the borough are achieving the top hygiene rating of 5 and the vast majority achieve a satisfactory rating of 3 or more. I would urge consumers to check out hygiene ratings online as these will give consumers a glimpse of what is going on in the kitchen when they eat out, or behind the scenes at the places they shop."
Dudley Council environmental health officers carry out regular inspections of food premises in the borough to advise food business owners and ensure they meet all food safety and hygiene requirements.
Ratings in Dudley can be viewed online at www.dudley.gov.uk/foodsafety or at www.food.gov.uk/ratings
Help and advice for businesses about complying with the law is also available online on the council's website at www.dudley.gov.uk
