Chesterfield mobile food van stops operating - after receiving one-star food hygiene rating

Rehmat Foods, a mobile catering van, and kitchen located in an annex of a domestic property in Barrow Hill, received a one-star hygiene rating in October 2024, following its first ever food hygiene inspection.

The venue was set for a re-visit in November – but the business decided to close its doors before the follow up inspection took place.

The Freedom of Information Request submitted to Chesterfield Borough Council has revealed details of food hygiene report, issued on October 16.

Inspectors found that the catering van had not had a gas safety check carried out for a “number of years”. At the time of the inspection, the venue failed to provide an electrical safety certificate for the electrics unit installed in April 2024, further adding to the safety concerns.

Inspectors found that the business failed to comply with structural requirements, while standards of cleanliness within the catering van were described as “poor”.

Rehmat Foods failed to replace broken piece of glass next to the hot holding area and was urged to ensure that “any potential pest entry points into the unit are sealed to prevent pest access.”

Inspectors concluded that work surfaces were “heavily pitted and dented” and “should not be used for food preparation”, while extraction filters were “rusty”.

Inspectors were also advised that if food handlers working at the venue were suffering from food poisoning symptoms they “would not carry out food handling duties for between 24 and 48 hours”.

Further concerns were raised as waste produced by the business was taken to a “civic refuse site.”

The report reads: “As you are a business you must have a trade waste contact in place with a registered waste contactor. Waste produced by the business must not be taken to the civic refuse site or put into the domestic waste bins for disposal.”

Inspectors found that Rehmat Foods were aiming for a temperature of 65°C when cooking dishes such as meat curries – when cooking this type of dishes should reach a core temperature of at least 75°C according to the Food Standards Agency requirements.

The catering van has also failed to comply with allergies and intolerance procedures.

The report reads: “Signage must be installed in a prominent place which prompts the customer to ask for allergen information about your food items. No signage was currently in place.

"I strongly recommend that you complete the free allergen training course which has been produced by the Food Standards Agency and carry out an assessment of all your dishes to identify which allergen ingredients are present in each item.”

All food businesses operating in England must have a documented food safety management system in place which covers the food operations that are carried out. However, at the time of the October inspection of Rehmat Foods “no documented food safety management system was in place”.