Scarborough Borough Council has successfully prosecuted two food establishments in Whitby after they were found to be in breach of food hygiene regulations (Photos on Flickr).
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Janice Mehnert who runs the Resolution Hotel and Andrew Nightingale, who leases the kitchen to operate his business 19@The Rez on Skinner Street, Whitby have been fined a total of £1,800 after pleading guilty to food hygiene offences at Scarborough Magistrates Court. In addition the pair were ordered to pay £150 each towards the council’s prosecution costs and a further £15 each victim surcharge.
Environmental Health Officer Daffyd Baker visited the hotel in September 2011 to carry out a routine food hygiene inspection. Conditions were so bad that Mr Nightingale agreed to close the kitchen voluntarily after being threatened with formal closure.
The inspection revealed accumulations of dirt, grease and food debris including seafood on the floor beneath equipment in the kitchen, dirty cookers and other equipment in the kitchen, dirty walls, damaged and dirty fridge door seals, a defective dishwasher, obstructed hand wash basins, overflowing dustbins, damaged floor coverings and a large number of flies in the kitchen.
In addition the bin storage area was found to be in a very dirty condition with liquid waste and other waste encrusted on the floor with a strong smell of rotting, decomposing waste and food, a large number of flies in this area and no means of controlling them and grease running down an external window from the extractor flue.
Conditions were such that there was considered to be a risk to public health and Mr Baker advised Mr Nightingale that he would have no option but to close the kitchen immediately. Mr Nightingale then offered to close voluntarily and undertake a thorough clean of the premises. The kitchen was closed over the weekend and allowed to re-open the following Monday after a further inspection revealed standards had improved significantly.
Steve Pogson, Scarborough Borough Council’s Health and Community Safety Manager said:
“Only in extreme cases where there is a risk to public health are officers obliged to consider formal closure and this demonstrates how bad standards were found to be at this particular establishment.”
Both the Resolution Hotel and 19@The Rez have a rating of 0 (Urgent Improvement Necessary) under the National Food Hygiene Rating Scheme adopted by the council last year. Ratings can be accessed at the following website www.food.gov.uk/ratings.
