A popular Manchester United-themed café for supporters has been hit with a £10,000 penalty after health inspectors uncovered a rodent problem at the premises.
The United Café, which operates independently of the football club, received the lowest possible hygiene rating of 0 stars following a discovery in August 2024.
Council officers visiting the Chester Road establishment found evidence of rats throughout the venue, including chewed potatoes.
The Manchester United-themed business, situated close to Old Trafford Stadium, subsequently shut its doors temporarily.
It was ordered to carry out a deep clean and proofing work.
Trafford Council’s report documented the extent of the contamination, noting rat droppings found beneath the chip-cooking equipment, along with other hygiene failures.
The neighbouring establishment, Legends, also closed voluntarily at the same time due to the pest problem affecting the area.
According to the council’s findings: “Visit due to issues with rat activity in the area. Both premises closed voluntarily due to rat infestation.”
A popular Manchester United-themed café for supporters has been hit with a £10,000 penalty
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Authorities required comprehensive remediation work and proofing measures to be completed before either venue could resume trading.
The café, which doubles as a bar and off-licence serving traditional fare including fish and chips and full English breakfasts, maintains a 4.2 rating on Google.
When undercover officers returned to inspect the premises in November following its reopening, further serious concerns emerged.
An inspector who had explicitly declared a gluten allergy was served a burger containing the allergen, representing a potentially dangerous breach of food safety protocols.
Chewed potatoes were found on the premises
|TRAFFORD COUNCIL
The Manchester United-themed business operates independently of the football club
|TRAFFORD COUNCIL
Council investigators also established that the business had failed to conduct proper daily pest monitoring, despite internal records claiming the site was free from vermin.
Officers found that accurate checks for rodent activity had not been conducted, even though documentation falsely indicated that no pest issues existed at the venue.
Sean Stokes, aged 56 and residing in Whitefield, Manchester, appeared alongside Café United Ltd at Manchester Magistrates Court.
Both parties admitted to violating food safety legislation.
Council officers visiting the Chester Road establishment found evidence of rats throughout the venue
|TRAFFORD COUNCIL
The company received an £8,000 fine plus £1,000 in costs.
Stokes personally faced a £1,048 penalty with an additional £419 surcharge.
The combined financial punishment totalled £10,467 for the breaches uncovered during the inspections.
Trafford Council confirmed that both the director and the limited company were held accountable for the failures, including the rat infestation, inadequate pest-monitoring records, and the allergen incident involving the undercover officer.