Hotel and pub fined over food hygiene

The duo Christine and Karlton Varney – both 50 – run the 30-bedroom Hotel Athol on South Promenade, Blackpool.

Both pleaded guilty to 11 breaches of the Food Safety and Hygiene Act when they appeared before the town’s magistrates.

They were fined a total of £1,980 and each ordered to pay £220 costs.

Lynda Bennett, prosecuting, told the court that the food area was dirty and greasy and the walls and ceilings needed repair work.

The washing area for staff was inadequate and cleaning and disinfectants were wrongly kept in a food and drink area.

Fittings and equipment such as a food mixer, toaster and food slicer were not cleaned property.

“Some food was also found to have mould on it,” said the prosecutor. She added:” There was a risk of cross contamination which in turn provides a risk to the public of illness or even death.”

John Mc Laren, defending said that the hotel had suffered because of the number of coach parties it catered for had dried up.

He said: ”They tried to stop this by trying to get booking through an internet site but they ended up more money into than they got out of it.”

“They are not a greedy couple and they were the only staff apart from their daughter and a part time chef.”

“The hotel is up for sale and they hope they have found a buyer.”

“They realise this sort of thing does not help the resort of Blackpool.”

In a separate food hygiene case this week, a Blackpool publican was fined a total of £1,910 after admitting five offences.

Wesley Davis, 31, who runs the Number Four and Freemasons pub on Layton Road, was also ordered to pay £438 costs.

Lynda Bennett, prosecuting for Blackpool Council, told the court that Davis had failed to act when he was given an official warning notice about the state of the pub’s kitchen.

She said: “The kitchen area and some equipment was dirty and greasy.There was also damage to the flooring and other areas.”

“There was mould in the ice making machine and water was found in a pool under kitchen equipment.”

“There is clearly a risk to the public when food is prepared in premises of a poor nature – it cannot be prepared safely.”

Ben Williams, defending, said his client had taken his eye of the wall and a chef who was in charge of the kitchen had allowed matters to decline.

“That chef has now been dismissed as a result of these proceedings.However my client does have to take overall responsibility for what was going on.”

“The place was not as clean as it should have been.”