Improvements made at pub where chicken was left at room temp
Inspectors also commented on a “dirty” floor, ceiling, and oven, a “greasy” extractor fan
A Hertfordshire pub was given a 1-star food hygiene rating after inspectors found chicken stored at room temperature and a lack of hand soap in the kitchen.
The Queens Head, on Knight Street, in Sawbridgeworth, was inspected in February. The report’s full details have come to light following a Freedom of Information request by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
Hygiene improvements have been made since the inspection, with a council officer saying that cleaning is now “satisfactory” and that procedures are now in place to deal with concerns about food vacuum packing.
They visited the pub for a follow-up visit in March, and the pub has already applied for a full re-inspection.
A spokesperson for the pub said the current owners took charge in summer last year and were “really disappointed” by the inspection’s outcome.
They added: “We inherited a bad situation. Unfortunately, the result is what it is.
“We have organised a re-score and they’ve already said we’re now operating at a rating of four or five out of five.”
During their February visit, inspectors found hygienic food handling and the cleanliness of the building to be “generally satisfactory” but said “major improvement” was needed to manage food safety.
The report raised concerns that some foods were not being kept cool properly – including prawns submerged in non-running water – while others, including chicken, were stored at room temperature “with no time control applied”.
They also found no system for controlling stock and no “systematic analysis” of hazards from vacuum packing food—an issue that had been raised during a previous inspection.
Kitchen staff had to use washing up liquid to wash their hands in the basin, which was also being used “to house cling film and other items.”
Inspectors also commented on a “dirty” floor, ceiling, and oven, a “greasy” extractor fan and canopy, and “worn” chopping boards.