Staff at the Eltham branch were found to be rinsing knives, chopping boards and utensils instead of properly washing them, even if they had come into contact with raw meat
A South London chicken shop has been handed a food hygiene rating of one out of five after mouse droppings and flies were found throughout the premises.
Morley’s at 5 Tudor Parade, on Well Hall Road in Eltham, was criticised by health inspectors for only containing one wash basin without any soap. They also discovered utensils, knives and chopping boards were being rinsed instead of washed, even after they had come into contact with raw meat.
Food hygiene inspectors from Greenwich Council visited the fast food restaurant on July 4 and handed down the damning score.
However, a staff member at Eltham Morley’s said all the problems encountered during the July inspection had since been sorted, and the council was returning this week to reinspect.
The report from the July inspection details how inspectors found mouse droppings throughout the restaurant, including in the toilet. Morley’s was told to call in a pest contractor that very day to survey the premises immediately.
As well as mouse droppings, inspectors found flies in the kitchen which were “potentially contaminating food and surfaces that they land on”. Morley’s was told to effectively screen or shut doors and windows to prevent flies from entering.
Inspectors also told the chicken shop to install a wash basin in the kitchen as the only sink on the premises for employees to wash their hands was in the toilet. Inspectors wrote: “You must install a wash hand basin in the main kitchen for food handlers to wash their hands when preparing food.”
No soap was found by this sink either, and no antibacterial gel or spray was found throughout the restaurant.
Inspectors said staff had not been trained in safe food handling practices and that opening and closing checks of the restaurant were not being effectively carried out. Morley’s was told to train all its staff in food hygiene matters within a fortnight.
Chicken shop workers were also not wearing suitable protective clothing and no filters were found in the canopy above the fryers.
A Morley’s Eltham employee said a Greenwich Council food hygiene inspector would be returning to the chicken shop this week to re-evaluate its low score. He said the issues had been sorted and the shop was “hopeful” it would receive a rating of five out of five.
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