Hygiene

Going down the pan!

22-Jan-2024 By Ed Bedington

Top toilets are vital for any pub operation, but are we always getting it right. The Lock In team go beyond the u-bend to find out how you can up your loo offer!

In association with Heineken

95% of pubgoers hope for ‘as much, if not more’ cleaning and sanitation focus post-pandemic

24-May-2021 By The Morning Advertiser

According to Heineken’s Pub of the Future report, the vast majority of pub customers hope that operators will redouble hygiene efforts even after the Covid-19 vaccine rollout.

In association with Food Alert

The rise of digital compliance: ‘virtual is here to stay’

08-Mar-2021 By The Morning Advertiser

A renewed appreciation of the power of technology is one of Covid-19’s enduring on-trade symptoms according to Food Alert’s operations director Mike Williams.

JDW sees 5.7m track and trace check ins

07-Sep-2020 By Nikkie Thatcher

Pub behemoth JD Wetherspoon (JDW) has received 5,742,125 check ins of track and trace across its UK and Republic of Ireland estate in one month.

What Food Hygiene Qualifications do I need to work in a kitchen?

07-Jul-2020 By The Morning Advertiser

Let’s get the facts straight, you may be the next Gordon Ramsay or Angela Hartnett, but if you don’t have a proper Food Hygiene Certification you’ll never progress beyond Come Dine With Me.

#UnitedWeStand

What’s in the 8 June issue of The Morning Advertiser?

08-Jun-2020 By Gary Lloyd

Here a summary of what you can find in our latest e-reader version of The Morning Advertiser (MA) – and for a limited period, you can read it for free.

#unitedwestand

How to keep your pub hygienic during Covid-19 shutdown

09-Apr-2020 By Julia Wilson

Julia Wilson, technical director of food hygiene consultant Food Alert, outlines key steps to keep your pub compliant with health and safety regulations during the ongoing pandemic.

Publican fined £12k after pleading guilty to rat infestation

28-Feb-2020 By Alice Leader

A publican and his pub company have been fined £12,000 after his site showed no signs of improving its standards since a rodent infestation was first reported.

Pub ordered to pay £140k for food hygiene failures

05-Feb-2020 By Emily Hawkins

A pub has faced total costs of more than £140,000 after its owners pleaded guilty to a series of food hygiene offences, including having no hot water and dirty equipment.

GK pub seeks re-inspection after zero rating on hygiene

10-Jan-2020 By Alice Leader

A Greene King pub is awaiting a hygiene re-inspection after it was given the lowest rating possible from council officers last year.

Greene King pub fights to reverse one-star hygiene rating

16-Dec-2019 By Alice Leader

A Greene King pub is fighting to turn around a poor food hygiene rating after an inspection found improvement was required in food safety and cleanliness.

Why your pub's back bar should be front of mind

06-Dec-2019 By Nigel Huddleston

Changing customer demands have given the back bar an increasingly prominent role, with a variety of new services available to provide an effective operation.

Greene King pub turns rating around after former ‘rat infestation’

31-Oct-2019 By Alice Leader

A Greene King pub hopes its new four-star rating will “restore the local community’s confidence” after being under investigation due to a “rat infestation”.

Pub slapped with £1.6k bill for serving ‘unsafe food’

23-Oct-2019 By Nikkie Thatcher

A licensee has been ordered to pay more than £1,600 in fines and costs after serving food containing egg to a customer who ordered an egg-free meal.

Sewer problem to blame for mouse in JDW site

14-Oct-2019 By Nikkie Thatcher

An old sewer line has been blamed for a mouse being spotted in a JD Wetherspoon (JDW) pub in West Sussex.

Licensing Hub – Legal with Poppleston Allen

Legal Q&A: Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notices and shadow premises licences

12-Sep-2019 By Poppleston Allen

The latest legal Q&A from specialist licensing solicitors Poppleston Allen addresses the serving of Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notices and shadow premises licences.

£180k fine for pub with mouse droppings found in kitchen

10-May-2019 By Emily Hawkins

A south London pub has been fined £180,000 after inspectors found mouse droppings in its kitchen and dirty utilities.

Cleanliness crucial to business, research says

16-Aug-2018 By Emily Hawkins

Pubs could substantially increase revenue if they perfected hygiene standards, new customer research has found.

Pub food hygiene troubles so far this year

27-Feb-2018 By Nikkie Sutton

Food hygiene can cost pubs thousands if errors are made. The Morning Advertiser takes a look at issues operators have had with hygiene so far this year.

Town pub slapped with £8k bill after salmonella outbreak

15-Feb-2018 By Nikkie Sutton

A Kent pub has been hit with a bill for thousands of pounds after at least 10 people became ill after eating its food and poor hygiene at the site.

Whitbread pub food hygiene rating drops from five to one

14-Feb-2018 By Nikkie Sutton

A West Sussex pub’s food hygiene rating has fallen from five stars to one star due to the “cleanliness and condition of facilities and building”.

City pub hit with £950 bill for ‘dirty equipment’

02-Feb-2018 By Nikkie Sutton

A York pub has had to fork out hundreds of pounds after food hygiene officers discovered it was using “dirty equipment”.

Hungry Horse pub slapped with zero-star food hygiene rating

30-Jan-2018 By Nikkie Sutton

A Hampshire pub has received the lowest food hygiene rating available and it needs urgent improvement to the cleanliness and conditions of its facilities.

Bierpro launched to help pubs save time, money and beer

10-Nov-2017 By Stuart Stone

A new brand launch this week included the reveal of a range of gadgets that can help pub owners increase keg yield and profits, as well as simplifying beer hygiene.

More than 90% of customers served with dirty crockery or glasses

30-Oct-2017 By James Beeson

There’s nothing worse than going into a pub being served a pint in a murky glass, or being brought food on a plate that looks like it hasn’t seen a dishwasher this side of September.

Staffordshire pub receives zero food hygiene rating

12-Oct-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

A Staffordshire pub has been given a zero food hygiene rating due to inadequately trained staff and lack of a documented food safety management system.

Greene King pub slapped with £140,000 fine for dirty equipment

12-Oct-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

A Surrey pub has been fined £140,000 for a slew of food-hygiene offences including having dirty equipment and not providing adequate materials for staff to clean their hands.

Popular pub receives zero food-hygiene rating and needs major improvement

02-Oct-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

A Lincolnshire pub has fallen from a five star rating to zero for food hygiene, following a recent inspection.

Fly infestation and build-up of sludge found at Toby Carvery pub

25-Sep-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

A Toby Carvery pub has been awarded a one-star food-hygiene rating after food hygiene inspectors discovered an ‘infestation of flies’ and a build-up of sludge in its kitchen.

Tips for best practice in hygiene equipment storage

19-Sep-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

Hygiene equipment management can impact a pub’s reputation and bottom line, but there are practices operators can put in place to keep it safe, according to compliance company Klipspringer.

Village pub defends drop in hygiene rating from 5 stars to 1

19-Sep-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

A Lincolnshire pub has defended its drop in its food hygiene rating from a five to a one and the licensee is confident it will be back to a five by the end of the September.

Councils demand food-hygiene display is mandatory

11-Sep-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

Food pubs will be forced to display their hygiene ratings if councils’ demands for a change in the law are met by the Government.

Pub landed with one-star rating for food management shortfall

04-Sep-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

A Greene King Pub Partners tenanted site in Lincolnshire has received a one-star food-hygiene rating, days after one of the pubco’s managed sites was given a zero rating.

Greene King pub gets zero rating for food hygiene

01-Sep-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

A Greene King pub has been awarded a zero food-hygiene rating and has been required to make major improvement in its food safety management and food handling methods, just days after a new manager took on the site.

How to get a five star food hygiene rating

25-Aug-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

Food safety issues can seriously damage a pub's reputation but, a five star food hygiene rating can improve it and The Morning Advertiser takes a look at how this can be achieved.

Pest control called to JDW pub after maggots fall from ceiling

23-Aug-2017 By James Beeson

A Kent pub was forced to partially close on Tuesday (22 August) after maggots started to fall from its ceiling.

Harvester pub scores zero food hygiene rating for 'significant failings'

01-Aug-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

A popular Harvester pub was given a zero food hygiene rating for its cleanliness, condition of its restaurant and the management of food safety.

How to avoid rat and other pest infestations in your pub

25-Jul-2017 By James Beeson

Preventing rubbish build-ups and filling up gaps in walls and floors are just two of the ways pub landlords can prevent rat and other pest infestations, according to a leading hygiene expert.

How to avoid faecal bacteria in pub ice machines

30-Jun-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

Ice machine suppliers have issued advice to help pub operators ensure ice equipment is safe from bacterial contamination.

Norovirus outbreaks caused by dirty chefs' hands

30-Jun-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

Poor handwashing in kitchens and overlooking other hygiene practices are contributing to the spread of dangerous foodborne bugs such as Norovirus, according to the Food Standards Agency (FSA).

Food Hygiene Ratings now more important to consumers

25-Apr-2017 By Michelle Perrett

Cleanliness and hygiene are major influences on where consumers choose to eat out, according to a report from the Food Standards Agency (FSA).

7 day beer line cleaning rule ‘not strictly true’

12-Apr-2017 By Nicholas Robinson

Cleaning beer lines every seven days is not necessarily the tell of good hygiene, on-trade cellar sanitisation firm Avani has claimed after a report outed the ‘dirtiest’ beer in Britain.

Pub ordered to pay £7k for hygiene failings

10-Mar-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

The Queen’s Head in Enfield, north London, has been ordered to pay £7,510 in fines and costs after being prosecuted for hygiene failings by Enfield Council.

Pubs warned customers 'will leave in droves' over food hygiene ratings

07-Feb-2017 By Daniel Woolfson

Pubs and restaurant that fail to achieve good food hygiene ratings should be prepared to lose customers to their competition, new research warns. 

In association with Booker

Keeping it clean and easy

29-Nov-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Pubs are under ever-increasing scrutiny – whether it is how good at sourcing from the local area a venue is or how many stars it has been given by the Food Standards Agency’s Scores on the Doors scheme, it can be tough

Hygiene and Compliance

Clean up your act: why operators must prioritise food safety and compliance

20-Sep-2016 By The MA

With offenders now facing heavier fines and prison terms, The Morning Advertiser looks at some of the key compliance issues and solutions 

FOOD SAFETY

Zero-star food hygiene ratings significantly down across pub sector

02-Sep-2016 By Daniel Woolfson

The number of pubs given the lowest possible food hygiene rating by the Food Standards Agency has consistently dropped over the past four years, new data reveals.

Food Safety

Mitchells & Butlers pub fined £100,000 for mouse infestation

22-Aug-2016 By Daniel Woolfson

Mitchells & Butlers (M&B) was slapped with a £100,000 fine after environmental health officers uncovered an infestation of mice at one of its Birmingham pubs.

Food safety

Brexit: EU allergen rules 'not going anywhere'

12-Jul-2016 By Daniel Woolfson

Licensees should not expect allergen legislation handed down from Brussels to change in the near future, despite Britain’s impending exit from the European Union, a leading food-safety expert has stressed.

Food safety

New food safety guidelines after grandmother ‘dies of suspected food poisoning’

06-Jul-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Food safety and hygiene experts are set to reveal a nationally recognised guide to legal hygiene practices, days after a woman died of suspected food poisoning linked to eating at a pub carvery.