A mice infestation, a dirty kitchen and cross-contamination between raw and cooked food led to the closure of the kitchen at The Black Swan Inn at Fearby, near Masham.
In a statement today, Harrogate Borough Council said a routine investigation by its food safety team found the pub to be “dirty throughout” with “potentially serious hygiene issues”.
Along with the mice and cross-contamination of food, the statement added that staff were unable to wash their hands after handling raw food.
The Stray Ferret revealed yesterday that York Magistrates Court had granted the council an Emergency Hygiene Prohibition Order for the kitchen on Friday. The council will need to be satisfied it no longer poses a health risk before it can reopen.
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The court also ordered the pub to pay £697 in costs to the council on or before September 10.
Conservative councillor Mike Chambers, cabinet member for housing and safer communities, said:
“It is imperative that food businesses maintain hygiene and food safety at all times, even more so during the current covid pandemic.
“The council’s environmental health officers work hard to provide guidance and advice to businesses in ensuring that they can operate safely.
“Any business failing to heed and act on such advice – which then subsequently fails an inspection which identifies a risk to public health – needs to understand that we will, when necessary, not hesitate to take formal action which could well result in prosecution.”
The pub has received ‘good’ or ‘very good’ food hygiene ratings in the past five years from the council.
The Stray Ferret contacted The Black Swan for a response by telephone today but there was no answer.
