Hotel restaurant operator fined £2,600 for food safety offences

The operator of a hotel restaurant has been fined more than £2,600 after pleading guilty to six food safety offences.

Robert Read of J&R Hospitality was slapped with the fine at Ipswich Magistrates' Court after failing to respond to enforcement notices.

Mid Suffolk District Council inspected Limes Hotel in Needham Market, which the company traded from, on 22 November 2017. It found it had no food safety management plan, was placing unfit food on the market and operating from poorly maintained and unclean premises.

A second inspection on 23 May 2018 found that no improvements had been made.

Fines for the first three offences totalled £1,000, with the following three costing the firm £1,666. Read was also told to pay costs of £570 and a victim surcharge of £170.

Simon Smith, prosecuting on behalf of Mid Suffolk District Council, advised the Magistrates Court that at both inspections the hotel was given a food hygiene rating of zero.

A follow up inspection was carried out on 13 September 2018 to provide the court with information, and food safety officers reported that they were happy with the conditions.

Cllr David Burn, Mid Suffolk District Council's cabinet member for the environment, said: "This is a great result for our food safety officers, who work hard to keep the public safe when eating out. The officers take a graduated enforcement approach, offering advice and support to all food businesses, prosecution being the last resort.

"This case shows how important food hygiene ratings are in making sure that members of our community can make an informed decision when heading to a restaurant or café."

Acclaimed Oxford restaurant closed down after cockroach found in food>>

Get The Caterer every week on your smartphone, tablet, or even in good old-fashioned hard copy (or all three!).