Morrisons has been fined £737,000 after environmental health officers uncovered serious hygiene failings at the bakery of one of its Welsh supermarkets.
Newport Magistrates’ Court heard that inspectors from Torfaen Council found widespread breaches during a routine visit to the retailer’s Grange Road store in Cwmbran in August 2024.
The supermarket received a reduced penalty after entering an early guilty plea, lowering the fine from an initial £1.1million.
The court also imposed £11,221.38 in costs and a £2,000 victim surcharge.
Inspectors reported poor cleanliness throughout the bakery, contaminated equipment, inadequate staff supervision and failures in food‑safety procedures.
The bakery was shut immediately for intensive cleaning.
Prosecutor Lee Reynolds said cleaning standards had fallen “significantly below acceptable levels”.
Dirt and grime on one section of flooring had built up to around a quarter of an inch, while trays, bowls, weighing equipment and doughnut‑filling machines were found heavily soiled.
Morrisons ordered to pay £737,000 over hygiene failings at Wales bakery
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Shelving, preparation areas, packaging tables and the hand‑washing basin were also contaminated.
Ovens and proving equipment were described as filthy inside and out, and several door handles were coated in hardened flour and food residue.
Environmental health officers found the workspace cluttered and poorly organised, preventing effective cleaning.
The court heard that 51 deficiencies were identified in food‑safety management logbooks, with management having noted several of the same issues more than a month earlier but failing to act.
Morrisons pleaded guilty to four food hygiene offences in their Cwmbran store
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District Judge Sophie Toms said the case involved “serious systemic failings” rather than isolated lapses, adding that staff across the bakery would have been aware of the deteriorating conditions.
She said Morrisons had endangered customer health and “potentially put lives at risk”.
WM Morrison Supermarkets had previously admitted offences under the Food Hygiene (Wales) Regulations.
The bakery, excluding the cake shop, reopened on August 5, 2024, after receiving approval from the council.
Daniel Morelli, head of public protection and environment at Torfaen Council, said the authority would continue taking action where consumer safety was threatened.
“The council will not hesitate to take formal action where the health and well‑being of consumers is placed at risk,” he said.
A Morrisons spokeswoman said the company was “very disappointed” by the condition of the bakery at the time of the inspection, acknowledging that standards “fell far short” of what customers expect.
The supermarket said the issue was an isolated local matter, addressed immediately in cooperation with the council, and that improvements had been maintained since.