Zero-star food hygiene rating for upmarket county pub and hotel
A DERBYSHIRE pub has received a surprise zero-star food hygiene rating after inspectors found a host of problems on their visit.
The Red Lion, in Rutland Square, in Bakewell, was visited by environmental health officers on August 19 and given the lowest rating, meaning urgent improvement is needed.
The report from Derbyshire Dales District Council, seen by the Derby Telegraph, highlighted a large number of issues which required “immediate attention”. Owner Punch Pubs says it has been rectifying the problems.
The report said: “There were major food cross-contamination risks evidenced during the visit. The most significant of these included the storage of cooked foods (burgers) in a lidded container which was open in the middle of a raw meat chiller.
“Not only is this a fundamental storage issue with regards to food safety but the products were unlabelled/ undated as to when they had been cooked and when they should have been disposed of.
“Cakes (lemon meringue & chocolate cakes) which had been cut were placed at the bottom of another chiller loosely covered in film adjacent to raw eggs and with raw salad/vegetable items stored above them. Open tortillas/wraps just stored directly on a chiller shelf.
“Foods were also found defrosting by the side of sink unit covered with a tea cloth. Foods requiring defrosting MUST be defrosted in a chiller overnight.”
Major improvement was deemed necessary for hygienic food handling and management of food safety, and improvement was needed in terms of cleanliness and condition of the facilities and building.
The report also highlighted that the rear yard was left in a “totally unacceptable condition” with rubbish littered across the area, with worn flooring, dirty surfaces and broken pots on the floor. It may come as a surprise to some customers, with the pub having a score of 4.2 stars from more than 800 Google reviews. Derbyshire Live recently reported that the pub, owned by the chain Punch Pubs, was one of only six food outlets in the whole county to score zero stars in their inspection.
In a statement, Robin Belither, operations director at Punch Pubs, said: “The team at the Red Lion were disappointed to receive a low EHO score in August 2021.
“At Punch, we take our EHO responsibilities incredibly seriously, and as such, through positive action and guidance from Environmental Health the team have been working hard to address the concerns highlighted, making key changes to their business practices and completing staff training.
“We are pleased to confirm that upon completing an independent audit, the pub has been awarded a green rating equivalent to a 5* EHO.
“We remain committed to ensuring the Red Lion continues to be a thriving community hub, and we are looking forward to sharing our major investment plans for the pub very soon.”
Inspections are carried out by local authorities in accordance with criteria set by the Food Standards Agency.
Outlets can be temporarily closed should they pose an immediate risk to public health and safety, with three stars meaning an establishment is generally compliant with food hygiene regulations.
The Derby Telegraph regularly reports on food hygiene scores across the county. After a business is inspected, the council has 14 days to inform operators of the scoring decision.
The business then has 21 days to appeal against that decision and only after this can we at the Derby Telegraph submit a Freedom of Information request, which can take up to 20 working days to be provided.
Once we receive the information in the reports via Freedom of Information requests, we again contact the business in question for comment to see what action it has taken before publishing the findings of the report.
The food hygiene score for the Red Lion was correct as of October 12.