Flagship London bakery Ole & Steen has been fined £26,000 after environmental health inspectors discovered mouse droppings in food preparation and storage areas at its Haymarket branch. The popular Danish bakery chain was also ordered to pay additional costs, bringing the total penalty to £34,847.
Inspection Reveals Serious Failings
Environmental health officers from Westminster City Council visited the flagship store at St James's Market in January last year. They were shocked to find that staff had already been alerted to the mouse problem by the company's own pest control contractor but failed to take action. Inspectors found fresh droppings in multiple locations across the bakery, along with poor food hygiene practices that risked cross-contamination.
Court Proceedings
Westminster City Council took Ole and Steen to court over the failings. At a hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, the company pleaded guilty to failing to protect food from contamination risks associated with pest activity and poor hygiene controls. The court imposed a fine of £26,000, with total costs amounting to £34,847. The judge highlighted that the business had prior knowledge of the issues but failed to take effective action before the council's intervention.
Council's Response
Councillor Caroline Sargent, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Enforcement, said: “We expect the highest possible food hygiene standards for our residents and visitors, and we will not tolerate a half-baked approach to safety. Our environmental health officers found a catalogue of serious failings, including mouse droppings in several locations and poor food hygiene practices, despite this branch receiving previous warnings. We hope this prosecution will send a message that when it comes to public safety, Westminster City Council will not sugar-coat the facts.”
