•Pub faces big bill for food hygiene failings
•Enfield Council prosecuted pub after failings found
•Council is committed to improving food safety in the borough
Magistrates have ordered a Winchmore Hill pub to fork out £7,510 in fines and costs after it was prosecuted for hygiene failings by Enfield Council.

Bitz Enterprises Ltd, the owners of The Queens Head Pub in Station Road, Winchmore Hill, pleaded guilty to four charges under the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013 at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court on 2 March. Magistrates ordered them to pay a £6,340 fine, £1,000 costs and a £170 Victim Surcharge.

A food safety inspector from Enfield Council visited The Queen’s Head in Station Road in November 2015 and served hygiene improvement notices on the owners, Bitz Enterprises Ltd, instructing the establishment to tackle problems relating to food safety management, additional food hygiene training and using an unsuitable area for food preparation.

An extension of time for compliance was granted, but a subsequent inspection in March 2016 found that they had failed to fully tackle the problems.

Enfield Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment, Cllr Daniel Anderson, said: “This establishment was given ample opportunity to clean up its act and simply did not do so, even though they were granted extra time to get things right.

“We do not want to prosecute food businesses, but when we are left with no choice we will act firmly and decisively to protect the public from the risk of harm.

“When residents eat out, they expect chefs to be following proper safety guidelines and preparing food in clean hygienic conditions that are fit for purpose. Sadly, this was not happening in this case and the failure to get their food hygiene right has cost the Queen’s Head a hefty fine.”

If you want to check the hygiene rating of your local food business you can do so at http://ratings.food.gov.uk/