Supermarket giant Morrisons has been ordered to pay almost £750,000 after serious hygiene failings were discovered at the retailer’s in-store bakery in Cwmbran, South Wales.
The case followed an inspection by environmental health officers, who uncovered extensive cleanliness and food safety issues within the bakery operation. Concerns reportedly included heavily soiled equipment, inadequate cleaning procedures, poor maintenance standards and shortcomings in food safety management systems.
Inspectors also identified problems relating to staff supervision and operational controls, with the condition of the bakery said to have deteriorated over a prolonged period before enforcement action was taken.
The bakery was closed immediately to allow a full deep clean and corrective works to be carried out. The matter later progressed to court, where the retailer admitted offences under food hygiene legislation.
During proceedings, the court heard that the failings had the potential to place public health at risk and criticised the lack of timely intervention to address the worsening conditions.
The financial penalty included a substantial fine alongside legal costs and additional charges, bringing the total amount payable to close to £750,000.
In response to the ruling, Morrisons said the incident was isolated to the individual store and confirmed that immediate action had been taken to rectify the issues. The retailer added that standards and procedures had since been strengthened to ensure compliance across the bakery operation.
