A NEW Forest pub has been slammed in a damning report after health inspectors found raw meat stored with salad as well as expired food and flies.

A report from Environmental Health chiefs, who inspected the Gamekeeper Pub said “major improvements” were necessary and gave it a food hygiene rating of 1 out of 5.

Inspectors from working with New Forest District Council discovered a fridge with raw meat stored above ready to eat salad which could “result in cross-contamination”.

The officer who carried out the inspection, said: “I found numerous items of food that had expired the use by date applied by staff. As these products were stored in the kitchen I presumed they were for sale.

“When I arrived at the pub I found a dog locked behind the bar. Food law states domestic animals should not have access to places where food is handled, prepared or stored, including the bar.”

Inspection of the kitchen revealed unclean conditions and that “thorough cleansing” had not taken place for some time.

Officers later found fruit flies in the cellar and the cellar floor soiled with beer spillages.

Following the inspection that took place on July 23, the Environmental Health officers recommend that the pub used separate fridges for raw and cooked foods, that staff check stock daily and dispose of any out of date food

On its website, the Gamekeeper Pub claims to be a family-friendly pub serving “fantastic food” throughout the bar, restaurant and garden.

The watering hole has a three out of five-star rating on the Good Pub Guide which publishes reports on the nation’s pubs.

A pub spokesperson said: “The rating was based on work that the cellar and kitchen needed to have done, which was scheduled but the inspection beat the work, which included redecoration, new cellar floor, door seals etc.

“Work was completed and a revisit highlighted that they would give the new kitchen and cellar a five-star rating but we would have to pay £162 and would be completed within three months, but there is a change of tenancy in three weeks time that will require a new inspection regardless.

“So the recommendation was to wait for the reinspection under the new tenancy.”