York farm shop pleads guilty to food hygiene offences – ordered to pay £3,800
The owners of a farm shop near York have been ordered to pay more than £3,800 for food safety offences.
York magistrates heard that the Farm Shop and Café Ltd on Wigginton Road, Wigginton, showed a lax attitude to food safety.
On visits to the venue, City of York Council public protection officers found:
- food past its use by date
- chilled food stored above 8°C
- food left to defrost outside, causing a contamination risk
- a kitchen wash hand basin blocked with dirty equipment
- homemade foods kept too long.
After repeated warnings since July 2009, the council issued a Hygiene Improvement Notice last October. A follow up visit found that this hadn’t been complied with.
The business was given its current food hygiene rating of 2 on public protection officers’ most recent visit in March 2015.
‘Consumers’ safety at risk’
On Wednesday (June 24) the shop was successfully prosecuted by the council for three infringements.
The owners pleaded guilty to the offences. In mitigation they told York Magistrates Court the company had worked with the council and had spent thousands of pounds to improve the premises.
The company was fined £500 on each offence and ordered to pay a surcharge of £50 and costs of £2,272.80 – a total of £3,822.80.
Sean Suckling, public protection manager at City of York Council, said:
Notices are issued with good reason and we will take action to ensure they are complied with.
He urged food businesses which are uncertain about their legal obligations to should email the food safety team.