Hampshire bakery owners banned from food trade over dead ants and rotting lettuce

A husband and wife who ran a Hampshire bakery have been barred from the food trade after hygiene failings that included "stomach-turning" dead ants being found in the fondant.

The couple, Nicholas and Rosslyn Green, owned Phoenix Bakery in Gosport.

Both pleaded guilty to 11 counts of failing to comply with food hygiene laws between January and August 2025.

Judge Daniel Sawyer sentenced them at Portsmouth Crown Court, where he said he had seen "stomach-turning photographs" taken by Environmental Health.

Those included "freezers thick with dirt" and "dead flies found in the microwave".

Among the other violations, bacon was found sitting in a yellow substance, which Environmental Health were told was orange juice.

Cooked and uncooked meats were stored next to each other in the same fridge.

Multiple items had been frozen into one block, and a box of margarine had finger marks in it.

Officers from Environmental Health also found rotting lettuce in one of the bakery's fridges.

Mr Green told them it was fine to use the lettuce "if you take off the outer layers" and "just use the inner part".

The Phoenix Bakery received a zero food hygiene score in July 2026 and was shut down.

Critical failures were reported in hygienic food handling, the condition and cleanliness of facilities, and the management of food safety.

A new business, Alby And Alfie Café And Bakery, now operates out of the same premises.

Mr Green is currently listed on Companies House as its sole director, and it currently has a food hygiene rating of two.

In his sentencing remarks, Judge Sawyer said hygiene levels at the Phoenix Bakery were "somewhere between woeful and non-existent".

He also said the lack of evidence of any customers being taken ill was "surprising".

He said to Mr Green: "You appear to believe that this is all some vendetta from the Environmental Health officers.

“You appear to think ‘I have been in this industry for 52 years I know what it is like.’ It is clear Mr Green has no intention of changing his ways.”

Mr Green was ordered to serve 50 hours of community service as well as pay £5,000 in costs.

Mrs Green, who the judge said had a supervisory role in the business, was given a conditional discharge and ordered to pay £2,108 in costs.

Both were also subject to a Hygiene Prohibition Order, meaning neither of them can own or operate a food business unless a further order is given by the court.