Teddy and wallpaper steamer among hygiene breaches at Didcot kitchen

Owner of 'Babicka' Grandma’s Pantry, Jana Kiselovicova, also failed to ensure there was no cross-contamination between different allergens, a court heard last week.

She reused gloves, foods and sauces were left uncovered, ‘dirty cloths were located around the premises’, there was plush soft toy monkey teddy in the kitchen and food was stored in a yard outside.

Kiselovicova was said to have made ‘some efforts’ to make improvements at the Didcot business. But even her own barrister accepted that one such attempt – installing a wash basin in a toilet that opened directly onto the serving area – was ‘clumsy’.

Prosecuting, Suzanne Green told Oxford Magistrates' Court on Friday (June 2) that the 54-year-old defendant was served with improvement notices requiring her to make changes at the Harrier Park business park premises.

“Sadly, there was little engagement and, it’s fair to say, there was little confidence of any sustained compliance, although it’s accepted there have been some improvements,” the advocate said.

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In later visits to the business, a sink had been installed in a lobby at the back of the premises where the toilet was located.

Ms Green said: “It was further noted that the toilet door had been left open. I believe there was an assumption that by leaving that door open that when washing hands you wouldn’t be contaminating [food, by touching a door handle].

“However, there is a requirement a toilet door should not be left open that opens directly into a room where food is being handled.”

The council lawyer questioned why, if they had ‘gone to the trouble’ of installing a sink in that area, they had not installed in the serving area a plumbed-in sink for handwashing or a portable sink like those found at market stalls.

She described the investigation by council officials as ‘challenging, somewhat frustrating’, and that a council environmental health inspector faced ‘threatening behaviour’ from Kiselovicova’s husband – although the allegation was denied by the defendant’s partner. Police officers had to accompany further visits by the council.

The defendant leaves Oxford Magistrates' Court on Friday (Image: Oxford Mail)

In her interview with officers, the defendant was said to have given ‘no real explanation’ for her failure to take ‘adequate steps to improve the food safety and hygiene raised or why she hadn’t complied with the improvement notices’.

Appearing before the magistrates’ court last week, Kiselovicova, of Yare Close, Didcot, pleaded guilty to charges of contravening and failing to comply with food safety and hygiene regulations and failing to comply with a hygiene improvement notice.

She had no previous convictions but had a history of poor ‘health and safety’ compliance, the court heard.

In the past, she received hygiene ratings of one and three stars and the business currently had a one star rating following an inspection earlier this year. Previously, she had been served with a hygiene improvement notice.

In mitigation, Richard Davies asked the judge to bear in mind that his client had made ‘some efforts to make improvements’. She had faced an ‘overwhelming situation’, was not completely fluent in English and was ‘trying her best to run a business in the this country’.

Fining her £5,600 and ordering she pay a further £5,190 in costs and surcharge, District Judge Kamlesh Rana told Kiselovicova that she had been under a significant responsibility to ensure she knew the regulations and ensure strict compliance with them.

“By failing to do so in respect of these offences before me today I find that there have been significant breaches which put the general public at risk,” she added.

The judge said she was particularly concerned by the breaches of the rules relating to potential cross-contamination of foods containing allergens.