Council health inspectors gave Michael and Gina Missing a four star rating after the couple turned around their pub’s dirty kitchen, which this week resulted in a £5,500 court fine.

Ely Standard: The Griffin, Iselham. Landlords Mr and Mrs Missing have been fined for having food unfit for human consumptionThe Griffin, Iselham. Landlords Mr and Mrs Missing have been fined for having food unfit for human consumption (Image: Archant)

The turnaround rates the couple’s Isleham pub as ‘good’ for food safety and hygiene, ‘good’ for structural compliance but only ‘some’ for confidence in management.

By comparison around a dozen of the 660 premises inspected by the council have a zero or a one star rating – the list including two other pubs, a café and two Indian restaurants.

An inspection of The Griffin pub, in Isleham, revealed out-of-date food on the premises including putrefied cucumber in salad and mouldy grated cheese.

There was also evidence of limited pest-control within the premises and a number of dirty appliances that were unhygienic.

Ely Standard: Dirty kitchen at The Griffin in Isleham. Mouldy cheeseDirty kitchen at The Griffin in Isleham. Mouldy cheese (Image: Archant)

The Missings, who have owned the pub since 2008, pleaded guilty to seven offences before Cambridge magistrates and fined £5,500.

They were previously cautioned in 2013 and attended a half day training course at the council in 2017 to improve their practices and hygiene rating.

Councillor Carol Sennitt, service delivery champion for environmental services, said: “When an inspector made a visit to the premises, it revealed that there was no effective food safety management system and poor hygiene standards.

“Public safety is very important and in this case, public health was deemed to be at risk.

Ely Standard: Dirty kitchen at The Griffin in Isleham. Dirty utensils.Dirty kitchen at The Griffin in Isleham. Dirty utensils. (Image: Archant)

“We work very hard with businesses in the area to try to ensure they keep up food safety standards.

“For the protection of the public, we had to take legal action against the establishment in question.

“All food establishments must comply with food laws or be prepared to face the consequences.”

The seven offences to which the couple pleaded guilty were:

Ely Standard: Dead flies in a dirty kitchen at The Griffin in IslehamDead flies in a dirty kitchen at The Griffin in Isleham (Image: Archant)

• Placing food on the market that is unfit for human consumption through putrefaction, deterioration and decay.

• Placing food on the market that is unsafe in that foods that were beyond use by dates.

• Failure to put in place, implement and maintain a permanent procedure or procedures based on the HACCP (hazard analysis and critical control point) principles, including establishing critical limits at critical control points which separate acceptability from

• Failure to ensure that all equipment with which food comes into contact is effectively cleaned and where necessary, disinfected.

Ely Standard: The Griffin, Iselham. Landlords Mr and Mrs Missing have been fined for having food unfit for human consumptionThe Griffin, Iselham. Landlords Mr and Mrs Missing have been fined for having food unfit for human consumption (Image: Archant)

• Failure to ensure the construction of food premises permits good food hygiene practices, including protection against contamination and, in particular, pest control.

• Failure to keep food premises clean.

• Failure to ensure that food handlers are supervised and instructed and/or trained in food hygiene matters commensurate with their work activity.