Burythorpe House Hotel, a boutique establishment owned by rock guitarist Eric Clapton, has been given a one-star food hygiene rating, the lowest possible score, following an inspection on July 7. The rating indicates that 'major improvement' is required.
Inspectors found that the management of food safety at the four-star hotel, located near Malton in North Yorkshire, needed significant attention. Food handling practices were also noted as requiring improvement, though the general cleanliness and condition of the hotel were deemed 'generally satisfactory'.
Alison Gaskell, the hotel's general manager, stated that most of the necessary changes have been implemented with immediate effect. She acknowledged that delays in completing required repairs, particularly to flooring and storage cupboards, contributed to the low rating. "Unfortunately, we could not get the required tradesmen that we needed for such a large area, times passed and I admittedly let too much time slip," Gaskell said.
Ms. Gaskell confirmed that all outstanding work has been completed and the hotel is scheduled for a reinspection next week. "After our initial disappointment we are feeling extremely positive now all outstanding work has been completed and are very much looking forward to our reinspection and hopefully restoring our previous rating of four, or even better, the maximum score of 5," she added. She also expressed gratitude for the supportive input and guidance from the Environmental Health Office (EHO).
Eric Clapton purchased the 18th-century building in 2013. The Burythorpe House Hotel features 14 bedrooms and a restaurant, and it can host events such as weddings for up to 150 guests. Despite the recent food hygiene rating, the hotel maintains a 4.5-star average on Tripadvisor from over 750 reviews and a 4.7 rating on Google.
Eric Clapton has been approached for comment.