Hotel owner fined after Campylobacter outbreak

Diversorium, which owns and operates the Downe Arms, a country inn hotel in Wykeham, UK was fined £8,000 for two offences after the Campylobacter outbreak was traced back to contaminated chicken liver pâté eaten at the hotel.

Following a prosecution by Scarborough Borough Council, Diversorium pleaded guilty at Scarborough Magistrates Court.

The council is using the case to highlight hazards associated with producing high risk foods such as pâté.

A total of 21 people fell ill following a Christmas party in December 2016 and a Christmas break package at the hotel.

The court ruled that fines of £5,000 and £3,000 respectively should be paid. The company was also ordered to pay the council £2,170 in costs.

Management at the Downe Arms have since improved food hygiene standards and were given a ‘good’ rating after a re-inspection in August this year.

An investigation into the outbreak, with Public Health England, found there were issues which were not consistent with good hygiene practices and food safety management records were incomplete.

The process for preparing the chicken liver pâté had not been validated by appropriate temperature monitoring and recording.

Jonathan Bramley, Scarborough Borough Council environment and regulation manager, said: "This case shows that no matter how successful a business is, it is imperative that those responsible for the operation of a business keep on top of their food hygiene responsibilities at all times and ensure their staff do the same.​

"Unfortunately on this occasion there were failings on the part of the operators to ensure the public were not put at risk and this culminated in several cases of food poisoning.”​