A pub owner was prosecuted for food hygiene offences - after requesting Environmental Health officials to carry out the visit that led to the charges.

Chef Adam Wrighton said he lost a lot of business after being criticised over social media when his business The Wheatsheaf received only a one star food hygiene rating.

The December 2016 inspection found poor standards of cleaning and hygiene and the Cleckheaton pub was awarded a one out of five star rating.

As well as poor food hygiene Environmental Health inspectors found poor structural compliance and had little confidence in management.

The Wheatsheaf in Gomersal. Photo: Mike Clark.

Wrighton told Kirklees Council that improvements to the Gomersal Lane premises had been made and invited inspectors back to take another look.

Prosecutor David Stickley, acting on behalf of the council told Kirklees magistrates: “He asked for a re-rating inspection where you can ask for a revisit to be brought forward and a visit was conducted in July 2017.

“There were still a number of outstanding issues such as poor structural standards and poor food storage practices.

“This gave rise to concerns and there was potential for contamination and illness.”

Kirklees Magistrates Court
Kirklees Magistrates Court

Wrighton, 41, pleaded guilty to five offences under the Food Safety and Hygiene Regulations.

He told magistrates that the business was boarded up when he took it on in 2010.

Wrighton, of Tabbs Court in Cleckheaton, explained: “I concentrated on cooking the food and getting things turned around so I overlooked a lot of things I shouldn’t have overlooked.

“It (the food hygiene rating) was embarrassing. It caused a lot of stress and the chefs have been in tears.

“The business was attacked on social media following the last visit and trade decreased by 60% to 70%.

“It was posted all over Facebook and in the Huddersfield Examiner and the place was boycotted for six months.”

Wrighton insisted that a number of improvements were made to the pub, including new sinks and hand washing facilities, a thorough clean of the kitchen and an insistence on chefs wearing clean whites every day.

He said his two other businesses folded and the pub is set to close down in the next few weeks.

Magistrates fined him £200 and ordered him to pay £750 prosecution costs plus £30 victim surcharge.