Country pub near Peterborough receives damning food hygiene rating after inspectors find ‘mouldy’ cheese and food in fridge that was ‘clearly spoiled’

A country pub near Peterborough has received a damning food hygiene rating after inspectors found “mouldy” cheese in the fridge and “raw” bacon kept next to cooked pies.

The Golden Pheasant, in Etton, has been slapped with a one-star food hygiene rating following an inspection on May 14, 2026.

The rating means that “major improvement” is required in relation to its food standards, with the inspectors’ report stating that they had “significant concerns regarding the management and control of food hygiene within the kitchen”.

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As a result of the May inspection, Peterborough City Council’s food hygiene officers concluded that “major improvement” was required across the business’s management of food safety.

During the visit on May 14, inspectors found that raw bacon had been stored next to pre-cooked chicken pies in the fridge.

Although the pies were to be reheated, storing them next to raw bacon still created a risk of cross-contamination, the report said.

Inspectors also found that food stored in the fridge was “past safe time limits”, including a toffee apple which had “no date label and was confirmed to be 7 days old”.

The toffee apple showed “signs of spoilage including a runny coating and pooling liquid”.

During the inspection, officers found blue cheese in the fridge which had a “foul odour, visible mould, and a hard texture”.

Additionally, inspectors said that flies were “observed in the food preparation and washing up areas” and that a window was open to the external environment without any pest proofing in place.

The report criticised the business for having no written Food Safety Management System in place, adding that the sous chef “had not received sufficient training in food hygiene procedures and was unaware of any formal systems in place”.

A re-inspection will take place sometime on or after May 16, the report added.

The pub’s leasehold is currently for sale, having been listed by Sidney Phillips Leisure and Hospitality Specialists with an £80,00 price tag.

A spokesperson for The Golden Pheasant said: “Unfortunately all those points were fair. It was unfortunate timing as the chef had left just prior to this visit by EHO [Environmental Health Officer] and we hadn’t instigated a full check to ensure everything had been left in a correct manner including checking all the storage etc.

“EHO revisited four weeks after this report was done and agreed that we had already carried out and instigated a number of changes which had improved our kitchen. Yes there were still items to be resolved.

“Subsequent to EHO’s visit we have carried out a full review of all our procedures and brought in line all the necessary guidelines etc. and cleared all the storage.

“Currently we are operating with no food offerings, i.e. the kitchen is closed until further notice.

“We will be seeking a further inspection once we are happy all the points in the inspection notes along with some other items have been dealt with appropriately.”