Supplier to restaurant chains and schools fails hygiene inspection and is ordered to recall meat

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

Jamie Oliver’s Italian restaurant chain is among companies caught up in a meat recall that led Wetherspoon pubs to pull steak from the menu on its weekly steak night.

Meat products supplied by Russell Hume have been suspended from leaving the company’s sites across the country after Food Standards Agency inspectors found “serious non-compliance with food hygiene regulations” during a surprise visit to the company’s Birmingham premises on 12 January.

Wetherspoon pulled steak from its menu on its weekly steak club night on Tuesday.

Jamie Oliver’s restaurants said they had switched suppliers after taking all meat supplied by the company off their menus..

A spokeswoman for Jamie Oliver said: “All Russell Hume meat was removed from restaurants as soon as we were notified on Monday. This was a day before the FSA asked for meat to be removed. We also switched suppliers.

“Following an inspection at the end of last year and the fact we have full traceability on our meat, we are confident that none of the meat we buy would have been impacted.”

Bourne Leisure, which owns Butlins, Haven and Warner Leisure Hotels, said it had also used Russell Hume as a supplier.



A spokesman said: “Following a discussion earlier this week with our usual supplier, Russell Hume, we have sourced a number of meat products from an alternative supplier and will continue to do so until we receive further information.”

The FSA said: “Following an unannounced inspection of Russell Hume’s Birmingham site on 12 January, we became aware of instances of serious non-compliance with food hygiene regulations.

“This has led us and Food Standards Scotland to investigate all Russell Hume sites, and other locations where their product is stored, in England, Scotland and Wales.

“Russell Hume were unable to demonstrate compliance with food hygiene rules at its locations so we have stopped any product from leaving their sites until the business can provide assurances that they are complying with the relevant legislation, and that they are producing safe food.



“We have also instructed Russell Hume to undertake a withdrawal of all affected product in the supply chain.”



It said there was no indication that people had become ill from eating meat provided by Russell Hume.

Russell Hume is also believed to provide food to care homes and schools nationwide. In a statement on Wednesday, it said: “The product recall was a precautionary measure because of mislabelling. We have no reason to believe that the product was unsafe to eat.”

Wetherspoon apologised to customers “for the inconvenience” after withdrawing steak from its menu.

Spokesman Eddie Gershon said: “We have had a supply issue with our pubs. Currently rump steak, sirloin steak and gammon steak are not available, but we hope to resolve this soon.”

















