Hotel fined over kitchen offences

In pictures

A well-known Cornwall hotel has been fined £7,000 after officials found a filthy grill and rotting food on the kitchen floor.

Owners of the Jamaica Inn at Bolventor admitted four food safety offences and were ordered by Bodmin magistrates to pay costs of £2,965.

A council food safety officer visited the premises in September last year.

The council said the hotel, made famous in a Daphne du Maurier novel, had now complied with food safety requirements.

Peter Andrews, of North Cornwall District Council, said he found poor hygiene and cleanliness standards, food at risk from contamination and inadequate training of staff.

Dirt and dust

Among the offending items were a grill in the main kitchen which was encrusted with food and grease and a filthy, grease-covered drip tray from the same grill.

Mr Andrews also found rotting carrots and mould-covered pasta underneath the cooker. The legs of the cooker also showed a build up of dirt and grease.

A fan grill cover in a large walk-in chiller had a heavy build up of dirt and dust which was over uncovered food.

Justine Wadge, senior environmental officer, said after the case that the Jamaica Inn had received free training by the council on complying with food safety legislation before the offences were uncovered.

She said: "We make every attempt to help north Cornwall businesses achieve compliance with food safety legislation.

"Our main role is to protect public health, but where serious breaches of food safety law are found which put the public at risk, and when previous advice given by the department is ignored, we will not hesitate to act in the public interest and take formal action."

The council said in a statement: "The Jamaica Inn has now implemented the council's advice and is now fully compliant with food safety requirements."

When BBC News Interactive contacted the Jamaica Inn for comment, no-one was immediately available.