Swindon businessman fined after skinning animals in his garden

The police found that there were no hygienic areas for equipment.

Swindon Borough Council Bottom of a wall and fridge with what appears to be tissue tightly on the floor with dried blood on the concrete. — The police found that there were no hygienic areas for equipment.

A businessman who ran a barbecue event business skinned and butchered wild boar, deer and pheasants in his back garden, a court was told.

Ionut Adrian Apetroaie, aged 44, appeared at Swindon Court on Monday and was fined after pleading guilty to seven charges, many related to food safety.

Officers seized between 200 and 300 kg of meat and other food from his home in 2023.

Mr Apetroaie, who will have to pay nearly £5,000 in fines and costs, said he thought he was doing the right thing by getting food hygiene training and insurance.

Officers discovered a pull-up bar had been used to hang the bodies

Swindon Borough Council A slightly blurry image of a training bar in a garden with a fence behind — Officers discovered a pull-up bar had been used to hang the bodies

He said he tried to check the requirements but asked for a parish council instead of a municipal authority.

The court heard how officers found evidence that a business under the name Romeat was being run from the address in Marigold Close, Haydon Wick.

At Monday’s hearing, District Judge Joanna Dickens heard how Mr Apetroaie would visit Smithfield Market and Billingsgate Market in London to collect food for himself as well as family, friends and members of the community who had placed food orders for him via WhatsApp or through social networks. mass media.

It advertised itself as an event catering business and held several themed events such as a chess competition, summer barbecue and a planned Halloween party.

The bodies were hanging from a pull-up bar at the property, the court was told.

There were no proper sanitary areas to produce food or store equipment safely, the block garage used also housed DIY tools.

Vacuum packing and smoking took place without proper controls and the products had non-compliant labels or none at all.

Some food was not under temperature control since the early hours of the morning, with no empty space in the fridge to store it.

Mr. Apetroaie was catering for events, he even organizes themed events.

Swindon Borough Council A room with kitchen cupboards, many that open and lots of equipment stacked on top. — Mr. Apetroaie was catering for events, he even organizes themed events.

Mr Apetroaie was fined £1,300, ordered to pay costs of £3,000 and a victim surcharge of £520.

He admitted not registering his business with the council, not having a food safety management system, not having adequate controls to maintain food safety, not displaying allergen information and not protecting food from contamination.

Councilor Jim Grant, Cabinet Member for Communities and Partnerships at Swindon Borough Council, said: “This case was made even worse because he did not register his business with the Council.

“This requirement is in place so we can advise business owners on the safety procedures and practices they need to follow to protect members of the public.”