I'd say the pheasants had been there for a couple of weeks, I wouldn't have wanted to handle them. Unplucked, undrawn game shouldn't be anywhere near a beer cellar, or indeed a kitchen; it should come from a game dealer, ready-prepped. Somehow, last June, they gained a 5 out of 5 (excellent) rating at their last EHO inspection, under a previous chef. I hold an intermediate level food hygiene certificate

thanks for your input, Che. With regard to the manky food issue, I did raise this matters with the pub manager and with the publican's sister, who worked there as a bookkeeper. Both merely stated that it had never been seen as an issue before. Surely it is incontravertable, if foodstuffs have reached their use-by date, that they be disposed of? I even offered the food to these 2 people, if they wished to take it for their own consumption. I am contemplating raising the issue with my local authority's Environmental Health Dept, in an attempt to substantiate that my concerns were valid. Do you not think that it might act as a useful 'lever' in this matter that there were issues of poor food hygiene in the circumstance of my dismissal? I can't imagine they would want it to become common knowledge. I was just doing the right thing. For example, several years ago, I read of a case of a chef who was using pieces of raw meat in the kitchen store room as some sort of aid to masturbation(?!?). He was caught red-handed (pardon the pun), and quite rightly dismissed for gross misconduct. In response to this, the chef made an application to employment tribunal, claiming unfair dismissal. Now you'd have thought such an application could be easily defended by an employer, but the employer in question promptly setttled. Why? Well obviously, you don't want to be the restaurant synonymous with the story of the chef who w**ks on the steaks! I feel I've been very unfairly treated. I'm certainly not looking to blackmail them, but it should be established that I did nothing wrong.

have to post in stages, internet on the blink & I keep losing my posts! With regard to the reasons for my dismissal- The job was working in the kitchen of a pub, I'm a chef. The kitchen was in a real state when I arrived, from a food hygiene point of view-real 'Ramsay's Kitchen nightmares' stuff! I had to dispose of quite a lot of food as it simply wasn't fit for consumption. They also had about 20 pheasants hanging in the beer cellar, obviously been there a long time ( they stank) so I had to dispose of them. The owners went on holiday to Australia for just over 3 weeks, a few days after I started, I was dismissed on the day they returned. The reasons stated for my dismissal were that I had wrecklessly wasted food by disposing of so much of their existing stock. They also stated that I clearly had 'communication problems' with my work colleagues. Surely what they called 'wreckless wastage' was merely complying with food hygiene regulations? With regard to their accusation of 'communication problems' I have requested that they elaborate, I did tell them from the outset that I suffer from slightly impaired hearing, and that I struggle if people don't speak clearly, especially in a loud kitchen environment. Possible DDA claim? I apreiciate that normally people don't have any employment rights within 1 years service, is there nothing with regard to what I was doing was essentially merely compling with the law ?

surely, godpikachu, I am entitled by statute to 4 weeks paid holiday a year? On the basis that I worked 6 days a week during the course of my employment that would be 24 days a year, one month's service= 2 days accrued? Not a fortune I know, but probably about £100-a lot of money now that I'm on the dole! The Employment Rights Act 1996 states that anyone completing 1 months service is entitled to a weeks notice, although of course they can try & claim grounds for summary dismissal

well that's what I think. I've given them unntil tomorrow to pay up. I've got other issues too, written statement of particulars, grievance procedure, payslips, accrued holiday pay- all of which they claim I'm not entitled too- surely that's b*****ks though? Only thing they've provided is a reason for my dismissal, which I understand I'm not actually entitled too! Thanks for your comment

I recently worked for a company, from Monday 2nd Feb until Monday 2nd March. I worked 4 full weeks, Monday to Saturday, until I was dismissed on March 2nd, the beginning of my 5th week of employment. I am now trying to claim a weeks pay in lieu of the notice I should have recieved. My former employer is claiming that I did not complete one months service. I haven't challenged their logic yet. What argument might they have? Any comments greatfully recieved. Thanks.