Shrewsbury takeaway slapped with one star food hygiene rating

A Freedom of Information request shows there was no hand washing taking place while workers placed raw beef burgers onto the grill at Flames Kebab and Pizza. The food business operator was also alleged to have worn a black jacket when handling and cooking foods, and not a clean apron and chef tunic.

Other issues that the inspector found at the Meole Brace site on November 27 include:

Frozen chicken nuggets and marinade chicken stored inside the upright freezer had no stock management system in place to denote when the product was frozen or to be used. In addition, they were uncovered in unlidded plastic containers which was open to contamination risks.

No stock control system in place for food prepared on the premises.

The probe thermometers were not calibrated/checked for accuracy.

A build up of commercial and food waste left discarded outside the rear of the premises.

No lighting provision inside the pizza preparation toom or the adjoining room where the pizza oven is.

A missing wall tile to the floor/wall junctions inside the rear food store room, hindering effective cleaning.

The wash hand basin inside the servery area was cluttered with empty plastic containers and there were no hand drying materials readily available for food handlers to dry their hands.

The cardboard placed on work surfaces and aluminium foil covering shelving inside the pizza preparation room was not suitable as neither materials can be effectively cleaned and disinfected.

There was a wooden pallet/plinth inside the walk-in chiller where doner kebabs were being stored, which cannot be effectively cleaned or disinfected.

The inspector said that, at the time of the visit, the overall standard of cleaning was ‘unsatisfactory’ and required improvement.

Areas deemed to be dirty included the dough mixing machine and tile flooring in the rear storeroom, the steel flooring and shelving in the walk-in chiller, the work preparation table and fitted tin opener inside the pizza preparation room, and fridge seals and surfaces in the pizza oven rooms. A dirty mop bucket was also found, with wastewater not emptied.

The inspector also noted that the Safer Food Better Business Caters pack that was on-site had not been reviewed, as well as allergen information for the dishes made.

The report, which was sent on December 6, states that the proprietor advised the inspector they had taken over the food business around 16 months prior to the visit. However, according to Shropshire Council’s records, the local authority had not been notified of the change of ownership or received a new registration.

And the proprietor’s behaviour during the visit was alleged to have been “unacceptable.”

“I must remind you that under The Food Safety & Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013 at Regulation 16 governs the powers of entry for Environmental Health Officers and Regulation 17 makes provision of an offence in the event of their obstruction from exercising their powers,” reads the report.

“This behaviour is unacceptable, and I advise you to reflect on this matter, and moving forward provide assistance, and information, which an Environmental Health Officer may reasonably require of you for the performance of their duties under the Hygiene Regulations.”

The inspector told the proprietor that another visit would take place four weeks’ after the report was sent to ensure that the legal requirements have received attention.

It is understood that has taken place, and the premises may be ‘re-scored’. That happens if a business believes improvements have been made, with a fee of £303 being paid to the council.