Mouldy food and dead mouse found in hotel’s kitchen
WEDDING VENUE HAS SHUT SINCE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH INSPECTION
STOMACH-CHURNING images show the disgusting state of a hotel kitchen.
A dead mouse was found underneath a storage bench and mouldy food – including TWO-MONTH out-of-date smoked salmon – was discovered by inspectors in a food preparation area.
Clough Manor Hotel, on Rochdale Road in Denshaw, Oldham, was visited by an environmental health team in February.
During the routine inspection, officers found a number of issues that breached food hygiene laws.
Cobwebs, dirt, dust, food debris and grease were found in the kitchen, bar and pot-wash areas, and pest control measures were described as ‘inadequate,’ Oldham council said.
A range of out-of-date food, including smoked salmon, cheese, yoghurts, sausages and pepperoni, was also found in the food preparation area of the now-closed wedding venue.
Clough North, trading as Clough Manor, has now been found guilty at Tameside magistrates court of 19 offences under the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013, Regulation 19.
The company was not represented in court but the case was found proven in absence. The firm was fined a total of £12,000 and ordered to pay costs of £1,250, plus a victim surcharge of £170.
Clough Manor is understood to have gone out of business several months after the inspection. The M.E.N. was unable to contact the firm following the court hearing.
Coun Arooj Shah, deputy council leader, said: “The owners of this venue clearly disregarded the safety of residents and visitors, potentially putting their health at risk. When people visit venues that serve food they should be safe in the knowledge that it’s been prepared in a clean kitchen.
“We are continually carrying out food hygiene visits to make sure businesses are selling food from clean premises. If they aren’t operating within the law then we will not hesitate to take action against them.”
Despite the health inspectors’ findings, Clough Manor averaged four out of five stars on both TripAdvisor and Expedia before closing down, according to their websites.
All food businesses inspected by the council are given a rating based on their compliance with the legal requirements for hygiene, structural condition and confidence in the management.
Following a food hygiene inspection, a business is rated from five for a very good through to zero for those premises that need to improve urgently.
It is voluntary for the businesses to display the rating but gives the consumer an indication of its overall level of food hygiene compliance.
All Oldham food business ratings are on the Food Standards Agency website.
Consumers are urged to check food hygiene ratings before they eat out or order meals online. Mouldy food, left, and a dead mouse found in the hotel kitchen