Local News
Truth about city’s cleanest eateries - and its dirtiest
MORE than a dozen Worcester food outlets have joined an elite group of city eateries with near-perfect standards of food hygiene.
But the latest round of food safety inspections by Worcester City Council's environmental health team has brought grim news for the bakery chain Three Cooks, with its branch on the Shambles being given the worst possible rating for safety and hygiene.
The council began publishing the results of food safety inspections online in January, when your Worcester News revealed that almost one in four of the city food outlets inspected over the previous six months had not met minimum hygiene standards and that only eight had received the perfect' five star award for food safety.
However, in the past two months top marks having been handed out to a further 14 food outlets - including several well-known city centre bars, pubs and restaurants.
Regular customers of the Pitcher & Piano on St Nicholas Street, the King's Head on Sidbury, the Anchor Inn in Diglis, the Mayflower in Dines Green and the Ludlows@
Diva cafe on Copenhagen Street can all now rest assured that the highest possible hygiene standards are being adhered to.
The city's other five star' recipients since January are the Housewives' Choice greengrocer on Church Street, Mencap in St John's, Stanley Road Primary School, the guest house at 26 Ombersley Road, the Victoria House Day Nursery in St John's, M&R Convenience Stores on The Tything, The Cottage Nursery at St Mary's School in Battenhall, Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue's headquarters on Charles Hastings Way and the Wyatt Guest House on Barbourne Road.
"Five star awards show that these premises are the elite in terms of food hygiene," said the council's environmental health manager Martin Gillies.
"Their customers can have a great deal of confidence in the practices operated there."
But the same cannot be said of the Shambles' branch of Three Cooks, with Mr Gilles' team reporting that hygiene standards were "generally low" and they had "little confidence in management" after an unannounced visit earlier this year.
The bakery received zero stars, signifying "almost total non-compliance with statutory obligations". A spokesman for the bakery declined to comment.
1:20pm Thursday 27th March 2008
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CommentPosted by: local resident, worcester on 4:18pm Thu 27 Mar 08
This is a job well worth being done in order to prevent epidemics.
Shame on the people who do not comply. Please make sure you do not support businesses unless they qualify.
This is a job well worth being done in order to prevent epidemics.
Shame on the people who do not comply. Please make sure you do not support businesses unless they qualify.
Posted by: chippie, Worcester on 4:57pm Thu 27 Mar 08
Time to Eat in the Hopmarket is certainly worth a visit - lovely food and very clean
Time to Eat in the Hopmarket is certainly worth a visit - lovely food and very clean
Posted by: jdg, Hallow on 5:35pm Thu 27 Mar 08
oops... guess who just bought a cake in the Shambles today for the first time. Should have read this article first!!!!!!!
oops... guess who just bought a cake in the Shambles today for the first time. Should have read this article first!!!!!!!
Posted by: nigel, worc on 5:55pm Thu 27 Mar 08
A lot of what is being picked up on these inspections are not new problems, they have been there years and have not been picked up on previous inspections or been addressed. So is the standard of inspections improving?
As owners or managers of such properties, many points that are being found on these inspections, are part and parcle of running a food establishment, yet they are totally unaware of their own legal requirements for running such premises, which I find quite frightening. I give advice and offer a service to such premises so that they can comply with their legal requirements but some I meet, think of nothing of paying more to keep the windows clean at these food establishments then taking the legal precautions necessary when running such an establishment. I work hard for my customers, trying to bring them up to the standard they should be when they open such a property, yet some of these premises have been operating for years.
A lot of what is being picked up on these inspections are not new problems, they have been there years and have not been picked up on previous inspections or been addressed. So is the standard of inspections improving?
As owners or managers of such properties, many points that are being found on these inspections, are part and parcle of running a food establishment, yet they are totally unaware of their own legal requirements for running such premises, which I find quite frightening. I give advice and offer a service to such premises so that they can comply with their legal requirements but some I meet, think of nothing of paying more to keep the windows clean at these food establishments then taking the legal precautions necessary when running such an establishment. I work hard for my customers, trying to bring them up to the standard they should be when they open such a property, yet some of these premises have been operating for years.
Posted by: uncledave, Worcester on 6:03pm Thu 27 Mar 08
For goodness sake, how can a spokesman decline to comment? Surely it is their job to comment. You might as well say that a fireman declined to put out a fire.
For goodness sake, how can a spokesman decline to comment? Surely it is their job to comment. You might as well say that a fireman declined to put out a fire.
Posted by: cvj, Worcester on 6:41pm Thu 27 Mar 08
great to name those who have come out well
but lets keep naming and shaming those who dont
Surely the three cooks were not the only ones
great to name those who have come out well
but lets keep naming and shaming those who dont
Surely the three cooks were not the only ones
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