Following the visit, Denbughshire Cpuncil said the venue fell ‘far short of the appropriate standard’ after inspectors found no hand-drying facilities, and out-of-date and partly decomposed food. A leaking fridge caused a wet floor, there had been a filthy mop, thick grease and overflowing waste were some of the other issues at the hotel. A compliance visit in September found similar problems. Prosecutors told the court that there were two complaints from the public about allergens and a cold breakfast.
The hotel owners admitted four offences involving failing to keep food premises clean and maintained, failing to ensure foods were fit for human consumption and failing to ensure food was protected against contamination. The company was ordered to pay £6,535 costs. Kathryn Pitters, defending, said: “The company has done absolutely all it can to remedy all the deficiencies that existed.” The business accepted there were failings at the hotel. The lawyer said there were policies and procedures within the kitchen at the time of the August inspection.
The head chef at the time was “highly acclaimed” and the owners had relied on him. Miss Pitters said the hotel was now clean to an “incredibly high standard” and had a four-star food hygiene rating. Grade-II listed Ruthin Castle was acquired by Ruby Hotel Collection in 2019 from adminstration.