Weymouth pub landlord fined for food hygiene offences (From Dorset Echo)

Weymouth pub landlord fined for food hygiene offences

4:00pm Saturday 14th January 2012 in News By Joanna Davis

A PUB landlord has been fined after health inspectors found a dog wandering around an ‘unkempt’ ‘and ‘grimy’ pub kitchen, a court heard.

Staff at the Sun Inn in Weymouth committed four offences under the Food Hygiene Act, Weymouth magistrates were told.

Kitchen food waste was found overflowing onto the floor from a lidless bin and the bin was amidst other items such as clothes and footwear, the court heard.

Nigel Crabb, director and landlord of the King Street pub, pleaded guilty to all four offences.

The case was brought to court by Weymouth and Portland Borough Council after inspectors visited the pub on July 20 and 21.

Grease and grime was also ingrained on most of the walls and fryers were covered in oil, the court heard.

Environmental health officers acted upon a complaint that a pub-goer was served a sandwich containing a ‘flea-like insect’ at the King Street pub, council litigation solicitor Helen Gardner said.

Mrs Gardner said an environment health officer visited the Sun Inn following a complaint.

“The person who complained used the pub as a member of a darts team and said they were served sandwiches with flea-like insects in them.

“The initial impression of the environmental health officer was the kitchen was very unkempt – full of dirty pans containing congealed food.

“The fryer was covered in oil,” she said.

The court heard that food at the pub had not been served since July 17 and the kitchen was being used for pub staff’s own personal use.

Mr Crabb also told council officers they were doing a deep clean of the kitchen at the time of the council’s visit and would not have been serving food for another week.

Mitigating, Simon Lacey said the business was a small time operation and that they only prepare sandwiches for the darts team and breakfasts for visitors staying in the B&B accommodation.

He added: “The situation is that Mr Crabb and his partner have run the pub for almost seven years and have never had any problems with environmental health. They’ve never had a caution.

“When the council made their enquiries no food was for guests. Mr Crabb believes the complaint was malicious.

“He’s embarrassed by the situation. The business isn’t generating much profit for Mr Crabb and his partner.”

Mr Crabb was ordered to pay a £200 fine for each offence, a £2,380 contribution towards court costs and a £15 victim surcharge.

Councillor Geoff Petherick, the council’s community safety spokesman, said: “The council is happy with the outcome of the case and hope it serves as warning to other businesses to ensure food hygiene regulations are observed.

“Public safety is something the council takes very seriously and regularly inspects premises throughout the borough.”