Black mould found on chopping boards as Derbyshire takeaway receives one-star hygiene rating

Phoenix Chinese Takeaway, located at Market Street in Whaley Bridge, currently holds a one-out-of-five food hygiene rating – meaning that ‘major improvement’ is ‘necessary’.

The rating comes after an inspection which was carried out on July 3.

The Freedom of Information Request (FOI) submitted to High Peak Borough Council has revealed the details of the full inspection report.

Inspectors noted that the kitchen and shop service area were ‘very cluttered’ making effective cleaning ‘virtually impossible’.

Dirt was found across the premises with fridges and freezers ‘dirty internally’. In addition the handles and bases onto the floor were also ‘dirty’.

Inspectors found that ‘all chopping boards in the kitchen were covered in what appeared to be black mould’, they were also ‘dirty and badly scored’.

A trolley used to store ambient foods was ‘very dirty’ and had ‘clearly not been cleaned for some time’.

Food that was stored on the prep bench was ‘beginning to decompose’.

There was ‘little regard’ for date coding or correct food storage in the fridges with tubs placed ‘directly inside each other’.

‘High risk food’, including meats and cooked rice, was out on the preparation bench instead of being stored in the fridge, causing food safety concerns.

Additionally, meats that had been defrosted had no dates on them, leading to further concerns.

A ‘large’ fine sieve was found ‘badly damaged to the extent that pieces could easily fall off and cause serious food contamination’.

The majority of the kitchen cloths were in ‘poor condition’ with ‘large holes and pieces about to fall off’ causing a potential contamination risk.

The ceiling in the rear store room was ‘so badly damaged that pieces of the plaster could easily fall and contaminate’ anything stored beneath.

Additionally, the floor in the rear store room was also in ‘poor condition’, to the extent that it could ‘no longer be effectively cleaned’.

Premises were revisited for compliance July 23 and while improvements were acknowledged at this visit the site operator did not request or paid for a Re Rating visit at the time.

As of October 6, the takeaway holds a one-star for hygiene rating at the Food Standards Agency database.

Phoenix Chinese Takeaway did not wish to comment.