Bakery had to be shut down over ‘severe mouse problem’
A NOTTINGHAMSHIRE bakery has said it is “extremely sorry” after hygiene inspectors found it had been infested by mice.
Belvoir Bakery on Langar Road, Barnstone, was temporarily closed and left with a bill of more than £21,000 after an investigation in September 2022 found its premises was infested with mice, including some dead and rotting, which had been in food storage and production areas.
Rushcliffe Borough Council said the bakery had a “severe, widespread and ongoing mouse problem” at the time of the inspection, which had led to contamination of food ingredients, food packaging, equipment and food contact surfaces. Nottingham Magistrates’ Court was told on Tuesday that despite being aware of ongoing pest activity, the food business failed to take action to prevent entry into food storage and production areas, maintain clean conditions, protect food from the risk of contamination and ultimately protect the public.
The council said its officers found evidence which included a dead mouse, mouse droppings and urine, gnawed food packaging and containers, pest nesting materials and contaminated food ingredients. The council workers then used emergency legislation to temporarily stop the bakery’s operations and seized a quantity of food which was condemned by the court and destroyed, Rushcliffe Borough Council added.
Vale Bakery Ltd pleaded guilty to seven counts of contravening The Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013 and was fined £1,600, ordered to pay £19,395 costs and a victim surcharge of £640, leaving a total bill of £21,635.
Rushcliffe Borough Council’s Deputy Chief Executive and Director Neighbourhoods Dave Banks said: “This case showed a total disregard for the bakery’s customers and the wider public’s health as the owners were so brazen and did not take the correct measures to avoid pests entering the premises or containing them.
“The conditions of the bakery were frankly awful and we were left with no option but to close it with immediate effect. The court bill sends a very strong and simple message to all food business owners that ... if you place the health of others in jeopardy we will take strong action through the legal channels wherever possible.”
Following the investigation, the bakery received a food hygiene rating of zero. It was later awarded a hygiene rating of four after introducing measures to improve hygiene standards and reopened.
The business claimed inspectors had visited while the bakery was shut and before a planned deep cleaning was carried out, with the droppings happening overnight. A representative claimed the small size of the fine imposed on the bakery suggested the lack of cleanliness was a temporary issue, rather than a consistent, high risk problem.
“We are extremely sorry that our usual impeccable standards momentarily lapsed. We can assure our customers this was an isolated incident that occurred more than a year ago when we were closed for a short period, due in part to staff changes,” a spokesperson for Belvoir Bakery said.
“We immediately rectified the situation. We have since employed a new team of conscientious staff who have been fantastic over the past year or so. They are a loyal and dedicated team who take pride in their work and are committed to maintaining our very high standards.
“We have been fully compliant and cooperated fully with inspectors, ensuring that our regular, meticulous, cleaning rota is maintained as is regular pest control monitoring. The judge’s fine of £1,600 reflects this, she was very sympathetic and understanding as we are a rural business and called it a blip.
“This has been a very stressful period for us as a business and we are extremely grateful to our loyal customers and assure them that we will continue to maintain stringent standards of hygiene that have always been a priority for our business. The court recognised that the risk of harm from the lapse was low and the low fine handed down is indicative of that.”