Chef escapes with suspended jail sentence

Croucher has now been handed a four-month jail sentence, suspended for 12 months, at Reading Crown Court after admitting a charge of contravening food regulations.

He told the court that he had been “rushing” when preparing the meal and said that he was now “a better chef” as a result of the incident.

Mrs Neuman died in October 2018 after the contaminated pie, which was not cooked properly, left her unable to stop vomiting.

Her death came after the Crewe Arms had received a poor hygiene score from the local council, with staff being given coaching from hygiene inspectors on the need for a good food management system.

Sentencing Croucher, Judge Sarah Campbell, said: “On October 8 2018, 35 villagers went to the Crewe Arms for a harvest meal. Thirty-two people ate the shepherd’s pie.

“A healthy and well person died of a gastrointestinal haemorrhage induced from vomiting. No sentence I pass can reflect the loss caused to the family.

“Croucher was the chef that night. The mince was not cooked properly and was placed into a pan with iced water. Croucher needed to leave, so put the mince in cling film and put it in the fridge overnight.

“Having left it, he cooked it again and added warm mashed potato. He did not take the temperature when it was served.”

‘This was not a one-off mistake’

Judge Campbell added: “The Crewe Arms is an important pub to the local community. I have read many references from members of the community, who all say [landlord Neil] Billingham worked hard to maintain the support of the community, including Ms Neuman’s daughter.

“They have all said that this was a one-off mistake but looking at the evidence this was not a one-off mistake. The pub should have been taking steps to be improving. Inspections in 2015 gave it three stars and in 2017 gave it only one star.”

Croucher, 40, who had been a chef for more than 20 years, of Ely, Cambridgeshire, represented himself at the trial, appearing in the dock next to Billingham.

He told the Judge: “A horrible, horrible circumstance happened and it’s something you take with you. I now second guess and third guess everything.

“I never had a coaching session when I was working for the Crewe Arms. I hate to say it, I really hate to say it, but I think I was rushed. I was rushing. After the incident we all worked very hard to get the Crewe Arms five stars. We went for it and we obtained it. We got very good marks.

“Remorse is an understatement. This is something I will never forget. Because of it, I am a better chef and it is just a shame the cost of it had to be what it was.”