Food hygiene inspectors slammed a Leeds pre-school which was told to clean numerous areas and to install hot water, the latter a repeated issue from the last report three years beforehand.
The Barn in Emsley's Farm, Warm Lane, Yeadon was handed a damning two-star hygiene rating after inspectors visited on behalf of Leeds City Council and the Food Standards Agency. A two-star hygiene rating means improvements are necessary and is the third lowest rating possible.
The pre-school has said it has made the necessary improvements since being given the rating in May last year. Management added its staff are trained to a high standard in food hygiene and the pre-school was given a 'good' rating by Ofsted.
The inspector found numerous areas and equipment which needed cleaning. Including, the inside of the milk fridge and lid seals to chest freezer, fridge/freezer and door. Plus, the floor needed cleaning, especially under and behind equipment.
Worn chopping boards were found which required cleaning. There was no hot water to washing sinks or hand wash basins in the toilets. The water issue was a repeated issue since the last report, dating back to 2019.
The food safety manual called the 'Safe Food Better Business' needed reviewing and updating. Daily diary needed to be completed and kept up to date.
Plus, the pre-school needed a food probe which is required for checking the temperature of cooked foods.
A spokesperson for The Barn pre-school said: "All staff have level 2 food hygiene and food allergy training. The staff responsible for dinner preparation all hold a level 3 food hygiene certificate. We are all aware of the importance of a high standard of hygiene practice."
The school said since the report, it increased the regularity of cleaning to fridge and freezers to a weekly basis rather than bi-weekly. And removed some equipment from the kitchen making areas easier to clean.
It added there were worn chopping boards as they had a surplus amount, with some used for play-dough, which have since been disposed of.
They've said the hot water issue since 2019 dates back to a time when they were a play centre/cafe and not a pre-school (which changed in September 2020). They've said they had an issue with a "broken" electric heater, and they had hot water in the kitchen basin and a commercial hot water dishwasher. During the recent inspection, they were waiting for quotes over a new hot water system which was "safer" for their pupils, which had been delayed by the pandemic.
The school said: "We put extra measures in place to ensure sufficient hand hygiene for the children and staff until we procured a suitable water system for our business."
With the Safer Food Better Business Manual, they've said they were previously a play centre/cafe and were given advice to take out certain sections when taken over - the school hasn't said where this advice came from. The school admitted there were "some gaps" in the daily diary, it has since changed to a rolling weekly menu which is "simpler to follow".
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