Historic pub loved by George Orwell gets zero hygiene rating

A historic pub frequented by George Orwell has been slapped with a zero-star hygiene rating after serving food 17 days past its use-by date while mice run riot.

Once the haunt of London’s literary elite, The Fitzroy Tavern, in the salubrious district of Fitzrovia, was said to have regularly attracted the likes of Virginia Woolf, Dylan Thomas and George Bernard Shaw as well as politicians such as Hugh Gaitskell and Tom Driberg.

Albert Einstein was even said to have visited for a pint.

But now the 170-year-old pub, which claims to have inspired its neighbourhood’s name, is infested with mice droppings and fruit flies, according to its latest food safety hygiene report which said ‘urgent improvement’ was ‘necessary’.

Inspectors also found that staff don’t regularly wash their hands, and food including chicken was served past its use-by date.

Apple sauce and sweet chilli sauce were served to customers despite having expired 17 days earlier, while food was given a fridge shelf-life 10 times longer than the maximum limit.

Greek style yoghurt was also sold 10 days after it should have been thrown away, with whipped feta on the menu despite being four days out of date, the report, obtained by a freedom of information request, said.

Cooked chicken, hummus and custard were also being served past their date of use.

Originally a coffee shop, it was transformed into a tavern in 1856 and run by German landlord Heinrich Hundertmark, with the nickname Hundred Marks.

It was taken over by Judah ‘Pop’ Kleinfield after World War I, who later became a master tailor on Savile Row, and the venue became a meeting point of the capital’s artists under its current name.

The venue, which has its own autobiography, was named the best restored pub in the country in 2017 after a major redesign following a takeover by Samuel Smith’s Brewery

But the inspection, carried out by Camden council officers on August 21, said food was at risk of contamination because of the ‘presence of mice activity in the premises’.

They added: ‘During the inspection mice droppings and fruit flies were noted in the bar area floor and on the shelving. Appropriate treatment methods must be used to eliminate these pests.’

The issue was raised at an inspection a year earlier but no action was taken.

The basin for washing hands in the bar area was not in regular use and staff had to be reminded to wash their hands after using the toilet, smoking and after handling raw food or rubbish.

The shelves in the bar and the floor covering the kitchen, the bar area and the storage area were dirty, as they were at the previous inspection.

Staff, who had inadequate food hygiene awareness, were failing to carry out proper food safety measures, including opening and closing checks.

Food establishments are given a ranking of between zero to five stars based on their hygiene.

They can choose to display the rating on their premises.

Businesses can request another inspection and a new score, which the Fitzroy Tavern has chosen not to do.

The pub and brewery have been contacted for comment.