Lowest hygiene score for Bolton restaurant with pests

Husky Faldu has run The Courthouse on Mawdsley Street since 2018.

After running the restaurant under its previous name, Harvey’s Café Bar, for a short while, Husky and team carried out a full refurbishment and rebrand.

However, a mix of circumstances earlier this year led to the establishment receiving a zero out of five following a food hygiene inspection on February 29, and the restaurant took the decision to voluntarily close.

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Husky said: “We closed instantly to sort it out. With the building being so old, it’s just near impossible, but we’ve managed to sort everything out, we’ve had them come back in and they’re happy with everything.

“We have applied for a re-rating, and we’re just waiting for them to give a date for when they’re coming.”

Husky said the restaurant’s closure was difficult to take, amid a challenging economic climate for the hospitality industry as a whole.

He added: “It was a mix of things to be honest, there were pests in the backyard and the backstreet, because the town is atrocious for hygiene in general, and then there was mould and stuff like that.

“The second floor which isn’t under our occupation – we only rent the basement and ground floor – there was a pigeon infestation and a mix of things.”

Despite not owning the building, Husky carried out work himself to help rectify the issues.

The Courthouse reopened after closing for four weeks (Image: Google)

He said: “We worked with our landlord, they managed to help us out massively.

"We got people in, did some stuff ourselves as well – I was in there until early morning working away getting stuff done –  random stuff: cleaning, filling holes, painting.”

A spokesperson for the council said: “The manager of The Courthouse agreed to a voluntary closure during a visit by an environmental health officer on March 6. 

“Subsequently, on April 2, after agreed works were carried out, the environmental health officer was satisfied that the business could re-open.”

Separately, another pub, The York, also received a zero – the lowest possible rating – following an inspection on February 22.

The York, run by Marston's, received the lowest possible rating (Image: Google)

The pub also agreed to voluntarily close for just over a week. The Bolton News has requested the full food hygiene report from the council.

A spokesperson for Marston’s, which runs the Newport Street pub, said: “We acknowledge the EHO report and have already resolved the specific issue they raised and has the pub has since been re-rated.

“We will be continuing to work closely with the EHO officer to ensure standards are maintained.”

A council spokesperson said: “During a visit by licensing and environmental health officers to The York on Newport St, the business operator agreed to a voluntary closure.

“Following a programme of works carried out, the environmental health officer was satisfied that the business could re-open on 1 March 2024. 

“However, the food hygiene rating was not re-assessed at this time.”

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Currently, 13 businesses in the borough have the lowest rating – zero – meaning that "urgent improvement" is necessary, according to Food Standards Agency data.

Another pub which received the lowest rating this year was The Wilton Arms, on Belmont Road.

When contacted, nobody at the pub was available to speak to The Bolton News.

The Wilton Arms, on Belmont Road, received the lowest rating (Image: Google)

A council spokesperson said: “Following a food hygiene inspection of a business, the food hygiene rating is awarded. 

“This is based on observations made by the officer at the time of the inspection. 

“The business will subsequently receive an inspection report which details any contraventions of food safety legislation together with recommendations of good practice and their food hygiene rating. 

“The inspection report may also include matters of evident concern relating to workplace health and safety. 

“Depending on the issues found during the inspection and the food hygiene rating, the business may also be subject to revisits to check that contraventions identified during the inspection have been rectified. 

“Such revisits to check contraventions following an inspection are separate from re-inspections requested by the food business operator, for which a fee is payable, to improve the food hygiene rating.”

If you have a story, I cover the whole borough of Bolton. Please get in touch at jack.fifield@newsquest.co.uk.