Grimsby pub company fined almost £5k for multiple food hygiene offences

A Grimsby pub company was found to be flouting a catalogue of food hygiene laws including basic maintenance and cleanliness standards.

Innovation Pub Management Ltd pleaded guilty at Grimsby Magistrates’ Court in relation to six offences at The Angel public house in Freeman Street, Grimsby.

The business was handed a court bill of more than £4,700.

Environmental Health Officers from North East Lincolnshire Council visited the premises in January 2017 and found a number of food law breaches that had been identified on previous inspections and still needed to be put right.

Photo: NELC

Photo: NELC

Three Hygiene Improvement notices were served in March but the pub did not comply with them within the specified time limit and did not request a time extension.

The work was eventually completed in September. The business was not properly registered with the council despite being requested to do so on several occasions.

Innovation Pub Management Ltd was convicted of all six offences and fined £1,000 for each of the three enforcement notice breaches plus costs of £1,713.75.

The offences were:

• Failure to register the food business with NELC
• Failure to ensure the floor surface behind the bar was maintained in a sound condition and was easy to clean and disinfect.
• Failure to keep the premises maintained in good repair and condition as there was defective wall tiling and damp affected plaster to male sanitary accommodation.
• Failure to comply with the requirements of a Hygiene Improvement Notice by 31 March 2017 in relation to point 2 above .
• Failure to comply with the requirements of a Hygiene Improvement Notice by 31 March 2017 in relation to defective wall tiling in point 3 above.
• Failure to comply with the requirements of a Hygiene Improvement Notice by 31 March 2017 in relation to damp affected plaster in point 3 above.

There was no separate penalty for the other charges of failing to register a food business with the council and two separate charges for breaches of food law that led to the service of the notices in the first place.

Councillor David Bolton, portfolio holder for Safer Communities and Public Protection, said:
“Businesses that flout hygiene laws are putting their customers at risk. The rules are there to protect people and provide a level playing field for traders.

“We give business plenty of opportunity to put things right but if they ignore our warnings we will take them to court.”

The pub responded to the court hearing to say The Angel has recently had a refit.

A company spokesman for managers Innovation Pub Management said out of 11 summonses served, five were withdrawn before the hearing, leaving six. Of those six, three were dismissed by magistrates.

They argued the three that were upheld involved missing tiles from a disused toilet that was not accessed by the public, damp caused by a leaking roof which was drying before being repaired, and the third was flooring on a cellar trap door behind the bar.

“Innovation Pub Management Limited always welcomes partnership working with all agencies and authorities and will not let this unfortunate episode stop that from happening.

“The company has also shown the court that it has a good working relationship with the environmental health team, stating that on previous occasions the officers had contacted the directors direct where there were concerns.”