United Cafe on Sir Matt Busby Way, Old Trafford, and its Whitefield-based director Sean Stokes, have been prosecuted following inspections which revealed evidence of rats, including droppings.
The first visit from inspectors came in August 2024, when officers discovered the business had not made accurate daily checks for rats, recording the site as pest-free even though an infestation was clearly present.
Evidence of rate droppings found by officers (Image: Trafford Council)
As well as rat droppings, officers found potatoes that had been gnawed by rats, as well as unhygienic food storage.
The cafe, operated by Cafe United Ltd, was required to make accurate checks for rats under Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point procedures.
Potatoes gnawed on by rats were found at the premises (Image: Trafford Council)
United Cafe closed voluntarily for eight days to address the issues, but when undercover officers visited again in November last year on a sampling visit to check compliance with allergen legislation, a further issue was found.
Officers from Trafford Council Environmental Health team were served a burger containing gluten, even though they had declared a gluten allergy.
Officers found food was being stored in an unhygienic manner (Image: Trafford Council)
Stokes, 56, and Cafe United Ltd appeared at Manchester Magistrates' Court and pleaded guilty to breaches of food safety legislation.
Cafe United Ltd was fined £8,000 with costs of £1,000 awarded, and Stokes, of Bury New Road, Whitefield, was fined £1,048 with a surcharge of £419.
Cllr Rose Thompson, Trafford Council’s Executive Member for Communities and Safety, said: “Visitors and residents in Trafford have the right to expect good standards of hygiene, and reliable advice on ingredients, from any food outlet that trades in our borough.
“This prosecution shows that we will not hesitate to take action where standards fall short of what is acceptable.
“Thanks to our environmental health team for pursuing this case and bringing this business and its director to court.
“It is a clear warning that substantial fines can be issued to businesses that risk putting people’s health at risk.”