Cat & Fiddle
174 John St S, Hamilton ON L8N 1P9 · Restaurant
Inspection summary
Cat & Fiddle has been inspected 8 times by City of Hamilton Public Health Services since September 21, 2023. The most recent inspection, on August 25, 2026, recorded 2 infractions.
2 of 8 inspections on record found no infractions at all. In the past 12 months there were 3 inspections with 10 infractions recorded. The higher-risk findings here relate to: Protecting food from contamination, Food temperature control and Handwashing and staff hygiene.
Recent inspections have recorded more infractions than earlier ones, so it is worth reading the latest reports closely.
What these findings mean
Health authorities word their violations differently, so we group them by what they mean for food safety. Higher-risk findings are the ones inspectors treat as critical, because they can directly make someone sick.
Protecting food from contaminationHigher risk
This covers how food is stored, prepared and displayed: raw meat kept away from ready-to-eat food, food covered and stored off the floor, and nothing dripping or splashing into it. Cross-contamination from raw to cooked food is a direct route for salmonella and E. coli.
Recorded 6 times across 5 separate inspections, most recently on August 25, 2026. For example:
Single service containers and articles kept free from contamination
Food temperature controlHigher risk
Bacteria multiply fastest between about 4 °C and 60 °C (40 °F to 140 °F). Inspectors check that cold food stays cold, hot food stays hot, cooked food is cooled quickly, and that staff have accurate thermometers. Temperature problems are one of the most common causes of food poisoning, so these are treated as critical findings.
Recorded 5 times across 3 separate inspections, most recently on March 17, 2026. For example:
Mechanical dishwashing: Wash / rinse water clean, water temperature, timing cycles, sanitizer
Handwashing and staff hygieneHigher risk
Hands are the main way germs like norovirus move from people to food. Inspectors look for stocked, accessible handwashing sinks, staff washing hands when required, hair restraints, and sick employees being kept away from food. Gaps here can spread illness quickly.
Recorded 3 times across 3 separate inspections, most recently on August 25, 2026. For example:
Hand washing basin with supplies of soap and paper towels in dispensers
Cleaning and sanitizingHigher risk
Anything that touches food, such as cutting boards, dishes and utensils, must be washed, rinsed and sanitized. Inspectors check dishwasher temperatures, sanitizer strength and how wiping cloths are stored. Poor sanitizing lets bacteria survive from one use to the next.
Recorded 3 times across 2 separate inspections, most recently on August 28, 2025. For example:
Equipment, utensils, multi-service articles and all food contact surfaces are properly constructed
PestsHigher risk
Signs of mice, rats, cockroaches or flies, or gaps and clutter that let them get in or hide. Pests carry bacteria and can contaminate food and surfaces, so evidence of activity is treated seriously and usually triggers a follow-up visit.
Recorded once on March 17, 2026. For example:
Food premise is protected against the entry and harbouring of pests
About this data
These results come from City of Hamilton Public Health Services, which inspects food premises and other public facilities in this area. We republish the authority's public disclosure data and refresh it regularly; the official record is the final word.
8 inspections
- Routine Inspection
2 infractions
- Single service containers and articles kept free from contamination
- Maintain single service containers and articles free from contamination
- Hand washing basin with supplies of soap and paper towels in dispensers
- Provide paper towels in a dispenser at hand basin in food preparation area
- Single service containers and articles kept free from contamination
- Re-inspection
2 infractions
- Hand washing basin with supplies of soap and paper towels in dispensers
- Provide paper towels in a dispenser at hand basin in food preparation area
- Provide soap in a dispenser at hand basin in the food preparation area
- Food protected from contamination or adulteration
- Hand washing basin with supplies of soap and paper towels in dispensers
- Routine Inspection
6 infractions
- Hand washing basin with supplies of soap and paper towels in dispensers
- Furniture, equipment and appliances in food handling and storage rooms arranged and constructed to permit a clean and sanitary environment
- Remove all materials not associated with the daily operation of the premises
- Food premise is protected against the entry and harbouring of pests
- Protect against entry, harbouring and breeding of pests
- Retain pest control records for one year
- Contact licensed pest control operator for insect / rodent / pest treatment and control
- Evidence of minor insect / rodent activity
- Mechanical dishwashing: Wash / rinse water clean, water temperature, timing cycles, sanitizer
- Food protected from contamination or adulteration
- Store and handle ice in a sanitary manner
- Refrigeration and hot-holding equipment maintained
- Provide easily readable thermometer in refrigeration or hot-holding equipment
- Routine Inspection
5 infractions
- Floors, walls, and ceilings clean and in good repair and maintained in a sanitary manner
- Equipment, utensils, multi-service articles and all food contact surfaces are properly constructed
- Ensure equipment, utensils and or multi-service articles are cleaned and sanitized
- Mechanical dishwashing: Wash / rinse water clean, water temperature, timing cycles, sanitizer
- Chlorine sanitizer concentration must be at least 100 parts per million at 24°C or greater for at least 45 seconds
- Provide sufficient detergent or chemicals for washing or sanitizing
- Refrigeration and hot-holding equipment maintained
- Provide easily readable thermometer in refrigeration or hot-holding equipment
- Certified food handler present in the food service premise
- Ensure certified food handler or supervisor is present during all hours of operation
- Routine Inspection
3 infractions
- Floors, walls, and ceilings clean and in good repair and maintained in a sanitary manner
- Cleaning required around, under, and behind kitchen equipment, counters, and baseboards
- Food protected from contamination or adulteration
- Store food off the floor to prevent contamination
- Refrigeration and hot-holding equipment maintained
- Provide easily readable thermometer in refrigeration or hot-holding equipment
- Floors, walls, and ceilings clean and in good repair and maintained in a sanitary manner
- Routine Inspection
0 infractions
- Routine Inspection
2 infractions
- Equipment, utensils, multi-service articles and all food contact surfaces are properly constructed
- Ensure ventilation system/exhaust hood/filters/canopy is maintained in a clean and sanitary manner
- Testing reagent used to determine concentration of sanitizer
- Provide and use test reagent to determine concentration of sanitizer
- Equipment, utensils, multi-service articles and all food contact surfaces are properly constructed
- Routine Inspection
0 infractions
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