A posh bakery in London has been slapped with a fine after their flagship chain was hit with a ‘serious’ mouse infestation.
Ole&Steen’s Haymarket store in London was found to be covered in mouse droppings among other glaring hygiene issues.
Environmental health officers from Westminster City Council carried out a routine inspection in January 2025.
They found mouse droppings and activity throughout food preparation adn storage areas.
The bakery had already been made aware of the problems by another pest control contractor before the inspection, but no effective action was taken.
There were also a number of poor food hygiene practixes which presented a risk of cross-contamination.
The company pleaded guilty to failing to protect food from contamination risks associated with pest activity and poor hygiene controls at Westminster Magistrates Court on Wednesday.
They were fined £26,000 and ordered to pay £8,847 in costs.
Councillor Caroline Sargent, deputy leader and cabinet member for enforcement, said: ‘We expect the highest possible food hygiene standards for our residents and visitors, and we will not tolerate a half-baked approach to safety.
‘Our environmental health officers found a catalogue of serious failings, including mouse droppings in several locations and poor food hygiene practices, despite this branch receiving previous warnings.
‘We hope this prosecution will send a message that when it comes to public safety, Westminster City Council will not sugar-coat the facts.’
A spokesperson for Ole&Steen told The Sun: ‘In late 2024, the conditions at our St James’s Market store fell below the standard our customers expect and the standard we hold ourselves to.
‘We immediately closed the store to address the issue and re-opened two days later. WCC visited while we were taking action and this location has now been awarded 4 stars for hygiene and cleanliness.
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‘We remain committed to upholding the highest food safety and hygiene standards across all of our stores.’