Skegness Magazine

A HEFTY fine has been dished out to the Village Oven bakery in Bilsby near Alford after it failed to maintain acceptable standards of food hygiene.

A routine inspection by food safety officers from East Lindsey District Council identified seven serious breaches.

Offences included:

o Not putting correct procedures in place.
o Not properly cleaning equipment that food comes into contact with.
o Equipment with which food comes into contact was not kept in such good repair and condition as to minimise any risk of contamination, including the mixer guard, balloon whisks, rusty mixing bowl and pastry cutters.
o Premises were not kept clean, namely the floors, packing trays, walls, trolley wheel, drainage gulley, pie press and wash hand basin were dirty
o The premises were not maintained in good repair and condition in that the heat sealer in the packing room and the racking in the dispatch area were damaged
o Windows which could be opened to the outside environment  were not fitted with insect-proof screens
o Adequate procedures were not in place to control pests

Appearing at Skegness Magistrates Court, on April 15, 2009, owner Graham Shin, pleaded guilty to seven offences of breaching food hygiene regulations and was fined £500 for each of the offences, costs of £1865 and a victim surcharge of £15.

Commercial Team Leader at the Council, Mike Harrison, said: “The Council is working hard to help food premised across the District to improve their standards.  We take a tough line against any premise that breaches food hygiene regulations because we need to know that our community and visitors are buying food that is prepared in a safe environment.”