Deli’s poor hygiene score ‘a freak mark’
INSPECTORS GIVE MORGANS JUST A ONE-STAR RATING
A POPULAR city centre deli has been hit with a poor food hygiene rating following its latest inspection.
Morgans Delicatessen, in the Eagle Market, received a one-star rating after a visit from inspectors on November 2.
The rating – given by Derby City Council – means “major improvements are necessary”.
Owner Lyndsey Morgan says the low rating was not down to poor hygiene issues.
He claims he was not in work the day of the inspection and was not able to provide paper work asked by the inspector as no one else knew where to find it.
Mr Morgan said if he had been in the shop at the time to show the relevant paperwork and answer the inspector’s queries, the rating may well have been four or five stars.
In a statement, he said: “Following our one star rating I would just like to explain why it was a freak mark and not one that reflects Morgan’s Deli.
“At the time of the inspection several unfortunate events conspired against us.
“1. We were in the midst of alterations. This did not make us unclean, it meant that paperwork etc, was not in its usual storage positions as I had to move things for the works. On that day only I was the only person who knew where the vital paperwork was.
“2. I was off sick with a severe migraine. I do get a migraine once every year or so. This was the worst I’d had – I really could not communicate from the state I was in. Morgans Sandwich Bar owner Lyndsey Morgan says the low rating is not down to hygiene issues
“3. At the time of the inspection the shop had just had a power outage and was in disarray with temporary extension cables running across the shop and normal jobs were on hold while the issues were trying to be sorted.”
Mr Morgan continued: “The inspector has to mark as she finds and all the above lead to our one star rating. We will be re-accessed in the near future and I’m confident there will be a much better rating. Even if all of the above happened again I believe we would cope far better.
“I have no issues with our inspection and we do have a healthy relationship with the environmental health officers, a few of which are regular customers of ours.”
According to the Food Standards Agency website, Morgans Delicatessen was found to be “generally satisfactory” with hygienic food handling.
In terms of cleanliness and condition of facilities and building, including having appropriate layout, ventilation, hand washing facilities and pest control to enable good food hygiene, the eatery was found to be “good”.
However the management of food safety, meaning system or checks are in place to ensure that food sold or served is safe to eat, evidence that staff know about food safety and the food safety officer has confidence that standards will be maintained in future was rated “major improvement necessary”.