|
|
|
Farm B&Bs may be forced to close as EU bureaucrats ban owners' pet dogs from kitchen Daily
Mail Farmhouse bed and breakfasts are under threat of closure because of an EU ruling which bans pet dogs from their owners' kitchens. Farmers say the sight of the family dog lounging by the Aga at breakfast time adds to the rustic charm for visitors. But according to officials, the animal poses a potential health and safety hazard to guests' food.
(Article continues below) So health inspectors are using new EU food hygiene laws, which put small B&Bs into the same category as hotels and restaurants, to have pets banned from kitchens. Tourism bosses fear that because most farmers only run B&Bs as a side business, many will chose to close rather than exclude their pets. The ruling emerged after one B&B owner in Dorset had to give assurances to his local authority that his dog would not be in the kitchen at breakfast time. David Weston, chairman of the British Bed and Breakfast Association, said he had never come across any previous case of food poisoning by dog hair before. He added: 'This new law covers food businesses and because a bed and breakfast serves food, they fall into that category. 'The regulations weren't designed to cover people's homes, which is essentially what a bed and breakfast is. 'Most of our members practise good standards of cleanliness anyway. We think the regulations should be enforced in a commonsense way. When there is a dog in the corner of the room and nowhere near the food surface area, then we don't feel that is a threat or a danger to health. 'A few owners have made comments that if it came to not allowing the dog in the kitchen or to get rid of it, they would close the business because it is not worth it.' Trish Bowditch, 51, and husband Robert diversified into the B&B business five years ago after their children moved out of the farmhouse they have owned for 30 years. They have a labrador, Maisie, who guests routinely make a fuss over at the Parnham Farm B&B near Bridport, Dorset. Mrs Bowditch, who has just three rooms, said she would probably close if it came to it.
|
|
|
| PRISON
PLANET.com Copyright © 2002-2008 Alex Jones
All rights reserved.
|
Yahoo! MyWeb
