Westminster Ole & Steen hit with £34k hygiene penalty

By Hiyastar Newsroom

Ole & Steen has been ordered to pay more than £34,000 after Westminster City Council prosecuted the bakery chain over food hygiene failures at its Haymarket branch.

The case concerned the company’s flagship site at 56, No 2 Haymarket, St James’s Market, London SW1Y. Council environmental health officers said they found evidence of significant mouse activity in food preparation and storage areas during a routine inspection in January 2025.

For customers, the immediate practical point is that the penalty related to one named branch and a court case heard on 10 June 2026. Anyone concerned about food hygiene at a premises can check its current food hygiene rating and report concerns to the relevant local authority.

Westminster court penalty

Westminster Magistrates Court heard the case on 10 June 2026. Ole & Steen pleaded guilty after the council alleged the business had failed to protect food from contamination risks linked to pest activity and inadequate hygiene controls.

The company was fined £26,000. With costs included, the total financial penalty was £34,847.

According to Westminster City Council, the court placed significant weight on the fact that the business had prior knowledge of the pest issues before inspectors intervened. The council said the Haymarket branch had already been made aware of the problem through its pest control contractor but had not taken effective action.

Food hygiene prosecutions usually focus on whether a business had suitable systems in place and whether those systems were followed in practice. In this case, the council said its investigation found that procedures existed on paper but were not effectively implemented at the premises.

Mouse activity and hygiene failings

Inspectors visited the Haymarket branch during a routine inspection in January 2025. Westminster City Council said officers identified evidence of mouse activity throughout food preparation and storage areas, including fresh droppings in multiple locations.

The council also reported poor food hygiene practices that presented a risk of cross-contamination. Its investigation included an inspection of the premises, a review of pest control records, photographic evidence and an assessment of the food safety management systems in place.

The issue was not limited to a single observation, according to the council’s account. Officers said they found a pattern of failings that raised concerns about how food safety controls were being managed day to day.

Cases involving pest activity can lead to enforcement when inspectors believe food may be exposed to contamination risks. Similar London prosecutions have included businesses penalised after councils found pests or poor kitchen conditions, including a Hanwell mouse infestation case.

Council warning to food businesses

Councillor Caroline Sargent, Westminster City Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Enforcement, said the authority expected high food hygiene standards for residents and visitors.

“We expect the highest possible food hygiene standards for our residents and visitors, and we will not tolerate a half-baked approach to safety,” she said.

She said environmental health officers had found “a catalogue of serious failings”, including mouse droppings in several locations and poor food hygiene practices, despite previous warnings to the branch.

“We hope this prosecution will send a message that when it comes to public safety, Westminster City Council will not sugar-coat the facts,” Cllr Sargent said.

The case underlines the role of council environmental health teams in checking food premises, reviewing pest control records and taking enforcement action when risks are not addressed. Businesses are expected to act on pest control findings before they become a contamination risk for customers and staff.

What customers can check

Food hygiene ratings are designed to give customers a quick view of inspection outcomes, but they are only one part of the picture. A rating can change after a later inspection, and enforcement action may relate to conditions found on a specific date.

Customers who want current information should search for the exact branch and address rather than relying only on a chain name. Large food businesses can have different inspection histories at different sites, especially where branches operate across separate local authority areas.

Anyone who sees signs of pests, poor cleaning or unsafe food handling at a food business can report it to the local council responsible for that area. Westminster City Council said this prosecution followed a detailed investigation into the Haymarket premises and the systems used to manage food safety there.

Source: Westminster City Council