The bosses of a popular city centre restaurant say they have worked hard and turned things around since they were given a one star rating for food hygiene earlier this year.
The ECHO reported today that a range of issues were behind the low rating being handed to Maggie Fu in Hanover Street. But now the owners of the restaurant have responded and said they have turned things around and are confident of achieving a much higher rating.
The full inspection report found containers of raw chicken were stored next to a cooling rack and utensil wash sink, when all raw meats should be stored separately.
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Responding, Maggie Fu said all staff have been retrained on how things should be stored correctly.
The report also raised the issue of cooked foods being stored at ambient temperatures for long periods, which it said can allow for the growth of harmful bacteria and toxins, which cannot be destroyed when reheated and can result in food poisoning. It states this issue was also raised at a previous inspection in 2021.
Maggie Fu said it has now introduced blast chillers in its kitchen as per the recommendation from the inspectors. These were installed three days after the visit.
The inspectors also told the restaurant to replace worn chopping boards and to fix gaps and holes found around the window in the raw meat preparation area which could allow pests entry into the kitchen. The restaurant said these issues have been rectified.
In terms of structural issues raised, inspectors found waste water leaking from a sink and grease build up on the surface of the cooking range. The pipe has now been replaced.
In a wider response, the restaurant owners said: "Following the inspection the EHO did say to us that outside of the cooling issue we would be at least a 4 star but probably a 5. Also noting cleanliness to be of that standard.
"As an independent family run business we feel the pain directly when things are not exactly as they should be and went to extreme measures including a massive cost to get the issues fixed within days of the inspection.
"We’ve grown this business from four employees in 2018 to around 75 employees today, we are still learning everyday during this growth and are constantly adding expertise to help our business operate correctly. We understand the cooling issue and have now rectified and learned from this issue.
"We have had our changes made since the inspection reviewed by a independent 3rd party food hygiene company, who have signed them off and are happy we are now compliant.
"We did not have to request a revisit, especially as this is already in the public domain and we are already dealing with the fall out of having a low hygiene rating, however we have at cost requested this to be done."
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