[T]he landlord of a pub in Kendal has been convicted after pleading guilty to falsely describing alcohol after a bottle behind the bar labelled as Smirnoff Vodka was found not to contain that brand of spirit.
Anthony Greenwood was given a £500 fine, and ordered to pay costs of £1,648 and a £50 victim surcharge after the hearing at Barrow-in-Furness Magistrates Court on 13 August 2018.
The court case followed a complaint made to the Trading Standards Service who visited the Ye Olde Fleece Inn, Highgate, Kendal and sampled the ‘Smirnoff’ labelled Vodka. On testing, it was discovered the spirit in the bottle was not Smirnoff but had been substituted with a different product.
John Greenbank, Cumbria County Council’s Trading Standards Manager said: “Trading Standards’ Inspections of businesses allow us to ensure that consumers within Cumbria can have confidence in the authenticity and safety of their purchases. It also promotes a fair and level playing field for businesses. We hope the outcome of this case will reassure consumers within Cumbria that we consider the truthful description of food products to be a priority area of work in protecting the public.”
Cumbria County Council’s Cabinet Member for Trading Standards, Cllr Celia Tibble said: “This is yet another example of the excellent work carried out on a daily basis by our Trading Standards team to ensure that the public are protected.”
The pub has since closed.
