Owner of dirty cafe is banned from food business

Mary Jean Felstead, 60, of Dolgwenith, Llanidloes, admitted failing to keep Jean’s Café in a layby between Rhayader and Llanidloes clean and in good repair.

She admitted failing to ensure all fittings and equipment used with food were clean and disinfected, and placing food on the market that was past its use by dates or was in a mouldy condition.

Felstead also admitted failing to remove and prevent the accumulation of food waste from the kitchen and failing to implement permanent procedures based on hazard control, all on March 13.

She appeared at Llandrindod Wells Magistrates Court to answer the charges.

Magistrates fined her £600 and ordered her to pay £750 costs and a £30 surcharge.

They also banned her from managing any food business ever again with a Hygiene Prohibition Order.

Prosecuting for Powys County Council, Nigel Vaughan said Felstead was known to the Environmental Health department, as she has a history of non-compliance with food regulations, and was prosecuted for similar offences in 2008.

Mr Vaughan said that in January she was cautioned by officers who found standards at the cafe were below what was expected, and she was offered help and advice about how to put things right.

But he said on March 13 officers inspected the premises again and found dirt, grease and mould in many parts of the café including on work surfaces, in cupboards, on walls and on wall tiles.

Equipment and fittings which came into contact with food, such as part of a plastic bottle which was used as a filter for red and brown sauce and a wooden spoon, had mould on them and there were encrusted beans on the hob.

Three bottles of milk were found to be past their use-by dates, and there was a block of mouldy cheese in the fridge. Felstead was asked for a record of her cleaning scheme and how she dealt with food stocks to ensure it was not out of date, and the records were not up-to-date.

Food waste should also be removed from where food is kept as soon as possible but egg shells were found.

Mr Vaughan said the incidents could have had serious consequences and Felstead accepted the findings.

Jonathan Crosskey, defending, said Felstead used to take away the egg shells every day but she had forgotten the previous weekend and she said the mouldy cheese and out of date bread and milk was not for consumption but she was waiting for a man to come and collect them for his pigs.

She said the dirty equipment was not used for food preparation, but she accepts she should have thrown them away and she did bleach the worktops and cupboards but it did not clear all the mould.

Mr Crosskey said Felstead had not been in good health and had not accepted that she could no longer cope with what she needed to do at the café, until this incident happened.

He said she now accepted that she is not capable of running it, with her health issues, and has sold it.

He said there is no evidence that anyone had been adversely affected by the café and Felstead did not intend to work in a food business again.