Peak District pub with cooked burgers beside raw meat gets zero food hygiene rating

During an August 19 environmental health visit, officers discovered evidence of “major food cross-contamination risks” at the Red Lion.

Already-cooked burgers stored beside raw meat were unlabelled – meaning it was unclear when they had been cooked or whey should be thrown out.

Cut Lemon meringue and chocolate cakes were found “loosely covered” in film next to raw eggs with raw salad and vegetables above them.

While open tortillas and wraps were stored directly on a chiller shelf.

Inspectors also found food defrosting by the side of sink unit covered with a tea cloth - against food safety standards which state food must be defrosted in a chiller overnight.

An inspection of the pub’s rear yard – described as "totally unacceptable” - revealed it was strewn with rubbish, had grubby surfaces and contained discarded broken pots.

The report found the Rutland Square pub required improvement in terms of cleanliness, while “major improvement” was called for in the handling of food and food safety.

Officers’ alarming findings come despite the pub receiving 246 “excellent” or “very good” reviews on Trip Advisor.

However, of the 316 reviews on the Trip Advisor website 37 were “average”, 14 reviewers rated it “poor” and 15 gave it a “terrible” score.

Robin Belither, of Punch Pubs, who own the Red Lion, 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 five star EHO.

"We remain committed to ensuring the Red Lion continues to be a thriving community hub and we are looking forwards to sharing major investment plans for the pub very soon.”

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