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Food safety: pub is fined
Publicans claim not to be aware of regulations
A popular pub in Chronicle Country has been fined more than 6,000 after failing to comply with food safety laws.
But publicans Trevor and Paul Morgan, who were each fined over 3,000, said they were not aware that regulations were being breached.
The pair, who run the Green Man Public House in Stanford, were charged with failure to keep food equipment, walls, floors and units clean following an inspection by Environmental Health officers in October 2008.
They also failed to produce documentation to show the food they served to customers was safe.
Both pleaded guilty at Bedford Magistrates Court and were each given a total fine of 3,031 and a criminal record.
Councillor David McVicar, Central Beds' Portfolio Holder for Safer and Stronger Communities, said: "Their actions could have caused serious health risks and hopefully act as a reminder to other local eating establishments."
But Trevor Morgan told the Chronicle: "We were not aware that we weren't complying with the law, but feel the council could have helped us more.
"When the bloke who did the inspection came into the kitchen that morning, we had two chefs in there which left it messy and he took it to the extreme in my opinion.
"Our business has always been based on common sense. Everything that comes in here is fresh and we are always stringent with food.
"The kitchen is cleaned all the time, it's an ongoing thing. After a busy weekend, the kitchen doesn't usually get bleached until the middle of the week.
"Admittedly, food records were never really kept, but that is more because we are extremely busy here and it is very time consuming. But we will be complying with the law from now on."
The Morgans could have been fined up to 5,000 each, but that was reduced after the pair entered an early guilty plea, while magistrates also took their financial circumstances into consideration.
Another safety inspection also showed the pub had now cleaned up its act.
Mr McVicar said: "Following a safety inspection two weeks ago, it looks like the issues have been resolved."
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Monday 28 May 2012
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