Court presents Brighton café with a £14,000 bill for bad food hygiene
A Brighton café must pay more than £14,000 after being fined by a court for food hygiene breaches.
Environmental health inspectors found a significant number of breaches which put customers’ health at risk at Tiffany’s, in North Road, Brighton.
The café had a poor history of complying with food hygiene laws, Brighton Magistrates’ Court was told.
Len Batten, prosecuting on behalf of Brighton and Hove City Council, set out details of the problems found by inspectors in March this year and February last year.
The most recent inspection found
- a build-up of dirt and grease on a hot plate
- rubbish behind a chest freezer
- a dirty vegetable fridge
- a damaged freezer and fridge
- uncovered food
- dirty fridge handles
- filthy floors
- grease dripping down the side of a deep-fat fryer
The earlier inspection found a risk of cross-contamination, damage to equipment and a lack of adequate food safety training.
After the inspection Tiffany’s was given a zero star rating under the council’s Scores on the Doors scheme – a public indication of the café’s poor hygiene standards.
Magistrates ordered Tiffany’s (Brighton) Limited to pay fines and legal costs totalling £14,015 after the company admitted 12 charges of breaching food hygiene laws.
Councillor Ben Duncan, chairman of the Brighton and Hove Community Safety Forum, said: “This was an extreme breach of the food hygiene regulations and customers’ health was clearly put at risk.
“Fortunately most food outlets in the city are reputable and take food hygiene seriously but, when standards drop, the council will act swiftly to take appropriate action.
“Protecting public health is vital.”
More than 80 per cent of the food businesses in the city are graded four or five out of five under the national Food Hygiene Rating Scheme.
