Latest News - Prosecutions

Southwark Council has secured a £150,000 fine against Heritage Cheese Kitchen Ltd after serious food safety breaches were uncovered at two separate premises in the borough.

The company was sentenced at Croydon Magistrates Court on 24 November 2025 despite being absent from proceedings.

The case was heard on 24 November 2025.

The first case involved Heritage Cheese at 1B Calton Avenue, SE21, where officers found a widespread mice infestation during a routine food hygiene inspection on 29 May 2024. Staff were cutting and selling cheese and ham on site, despite mice droppings being found on floors, shelving and food preparation surfaces. A one kilogram piece of ham stored in a walk-in chiller had been nibbled by mice and contaminated with droppings. Officers deemed the food unfit for human consumption and it was destroyed on site. The business agreed to voluntarily close due to the imminent risk to public health.

A second investigation on 14 June 2024 uncovered further serious food safety failures at Heritage Cheese in Unit 1, Tower Workshops, SE1, a site that the company had failed to register with the council, an offence in itself. Officers found extensive mouse droppings on shelving and crates used to store and transport cheese, no hot water supply and only limited cold water, poor hygiene throughout the premises, and dirty equipment used to cut food. Staff were unable to confirm durability dates for a large quantity of unlabelled cheese, leading to around 30kg of cheese being voluntarily surrendered for destruction. The premises also closed voluntarily after officers identified an imminent risk to health.

The Judge determined that both cases involved high harm and high culpability, imposing fines totalling £150,000, plus a £2,000 victim surcharge and £2,979.60 in prosecution costs, all to be paid within 28 days.

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