Former Kettering village pub boss fined over out-of-date food

The former boss of a Kettering village pub has been fined after inspectors found food that was up to a week past its use-by date.

Desmond Scarboro was responsible for The Three Cranes in Great Cransley when he breached numerous food safety regulations in 2019 and 2020.

Out-of-date food that was placed on the market while he was responsible for hygiene included tapas, burgers, fish, mince and cream.

He is no longer involved with The Three Cranes, which was taken over by the independent Kelchner Brewery in May this year and is thriving as a community pub again.

Scarboro, who still works in the pub trade elsewhere in the county, admitted 10 offences when he appeared at Wellingborough Magistrates' Court last month.

Magistrates were told that Scarboro was the food business operator at the Loddington Road pub in 2019 and was legally responsible for ensuring food law requirements were met.

But when hygiene inspectors visited on November 29, 2019, they found he had failed to keep the premises clean and in a good condition.

The kitchen was cluttered, untidy and disorganised, with food on every visible horizontal service, and the washing up sink was full of out-of-date food.

Then, on December 4, they found further food safety breaches.

The pub had failed to ensure cooked food was kept at a temperature so as to control the growth of micro-organisms or the formation of toxins.

And food had been placed on the market which was past its use-by date - the last date an item of food should be consumed by for health and safety reasons.

Items included two packs of tapas, with a use-by date of December 3, and a baguette with a use-by date of December 2.

And on December 18 they found more food was placed on the market despite being past its use-by date.

This time items included a packet of mackerel with a use-by date of December 11 and a carton of cream with a use-by date of December 12

Inspectors also found a packet of pig's liver with a use-by date of December 15, a pack of beef and pork mince with a use-by date of December 17 and a pack of four burgers with a use-by date of December 13.

Scarboro also admitted intentionally obstructing a council officer on December 18.

On December 19 he was served with a hygiene improvement notice by Kettering Borough Council but weeks later committed further offences.

On January 17, 2020, he intentionally obstructed a council officer and then, on January 20, failed to comply with the notice served by the council.

Scarboro, whose address was listed as Great Cransley in court records, pleaded guilty to all charges facing him.

Magistrates ordered him to pay a total of £1,713 - made up of fines totalling £690, costs of £1,000 and a surcharge to fund victim services of £23.

When approached by this newspaper he said he was sorry for what had happened and wished the pub's new owners well but declined to comment further.