A kitchen in a 3-star hotel in Swindon has been recently fined with $30,000 (£20,000) after the conditions were deemed to be very "appalling."
The court in Swindon was forced to slap a very high cost at Great Western Hotel based on the pictures and report during an inspection. They discovered that the state of the fridge was horrible with both cooked and uncooked meats combined inside. Some of the meats can also be found in a working surface, with temperatures that can promote the growth of bacteria.
Mold and grease can be found on the hob, which had already turned rusty. The chefs and other kitchen staff didn't have any access to sanitizers and soaps to help them wash their hands. Grease, meanwhile, was present in many surfaces used for food preparation.
Worse, even stale sandwiches were served to their guests. Overall, the hotel's kitchen violated more than 10 security measures.
Although there have been other restaurants and food shops that have been penalized due to their gross neglect of cleanliness and hygiene, their fines weren't as high as this. But then again, this wasn't the first time the hotel committed the same offense. In fact, the inspection was performed as means of checking if the needed changes have already been made.
The hotel director has expressed his sincere regret over what happened and has told the borough council that they have already implemented the necessary changes, including retraining the employees and investing in new and clean kitchen, which has already cost the hotel over $46,000 (£30,000).
In recent years, many restaurants were forced to close down because of health concerns. A Greenwich Chinese restaurant was eventually forced to close down in 2012 when inspectors found the same problem: a significant infestation of rats. The restaurant was previously made to pay a fine in 2010. The owners are no longer allowed to open a restaurant.