Marco’s steakhouse given just one star in food hygiene ratings But restaurant at top of Cube appeals inspection report
MARCO Pierre White’s Birmingham restaurant has been told to improve its food hygiene standards after receiving a one-star rating.
The celebrity chef ’s flagship restaurant, on the 25th floor of The Cube, was awarded the rating after an environmental health inspection of its kitchen, bin store, food stores, and bar on March 12.
But the restaurant said appealed the rating.
A report by an Environmental Health Officer from Birmingham City Council noted numerous concerns with the restaurant, including evidence of dirt and mould in the raw preparation area.
The report also noted overflowing bins, dirty equipment and sponges, and said use-by dates were being extended by staff. it had
The report said: “Replace all damaged and worn chopping boards. There were a number of boards that showed ingrained dirt and mould where scorning was evident.
“You should store ready to eat chopping boards in the larder section to avoid any contamination as they are currently being stored in the raw preparation area.”
The officer noted that an air condition unit was dripping onto food stored directly under the unit, and said trays of raw bacon were being stored above ready to eat food products in the breakfast fridge.
The report said: “The air condition unit was dripping onto food stored in directly under the unit which had broken. Repair the unit.
“Ensure that all food items are stored correctly. In the breakfast fridge, there were trays of raw bacon being stored above ready to eat food products.”
It also stressed that staff needed retraining on food hygiene practices and policies, as hand wash basins in the bar and service area were unused and blocked by bins.
Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar & Grill is one of 21 Birmingham restaurants to have received a ‘major improvement necessary’ rating from the Food Standards Agency in March.
Jilabi on Coventry Road, Ginger Tree on Bell Lane, and Gino’s Fish and Pizza Bar on Bristol Road South also received ‘one’ ratings in March inspections.
A spokeswoman said: “We have appealed the latest EHO score due to the disparity between this score and that of our independent external auditors, Shield Safety Group, who also carried out an unannounced kitchen audit on the same day as the EHO and scored us four stars.
“Prior to this held a five-star latest visit we rating and we have very stringent processes in place to ensure we adhere to and maintain very high standards.
“Shield Safety Group is the leading independent auditor within our industry. They have a team of inspectors who are exEHO auditors which gives us great confidence that our kitchen and standards are in a very good place.”
She added: “Over the past year we have invested more than £150,000 in the modernisation and upgrading of our kitchen. We pride ourselves in our commitment to health and safety, and we continue to invest heavily in staff training and our kitchens.”
A spokesperson for Shield Safety Group said: “Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar & Grill Birmingham has applied for a re-rating by the EHO and we would expect it to receive a much more favourable outcome.”