Shocking footage has appeared online of a dirty kitchen at a popular south Wales branch of Wetherspoons. The clips, which surfaced recently on TikTok, show piles of unwashed plates left on the floor, grime and grease-caked appliances, mouldy and out-of-date produce, over flowing bins and food left unrefrigerated or improperly stored.
The queasy scenes were uploaded to social media by a user named 'wetherspoontruths' who claimed they'd been filmed in the kitchen of The Bell Hanger pub in Chepstow. In one of the videos members of staff can be seen posing alongside the mess.
However, a spokesperson for Wetherspoons said that since the footage was shot the venue had undergone both an investigation and a change of management. They added that since the pub's last inspection in December 2022 it had scored a maximum five star hygiene rating.
READ MORE: Food hygiene ratings for every Wetherspoon pub in Wales
Those commenting on the clips also expressed their disbelief at what they saw. "Worked in about 20 different Wetherspoons in my career and never seen this," posted one.
"Their standards are so high it’s unreal - so this got to be a one off." Another added, "Why do you have ya phone out in kitchen?
"Maybe help out more instead of doing videos making the team ya work with look useless." A statement issued from Wetherspoons read: "We believe that the photos are of The Bell Hanger in Chepstow and were taken by an ex-employee.
"It is difficult to comment in detail on the photos due to a lack of context. It is true that the pub in question fell below the required standards in the past.
"Since then there has been an investigation and management changes." It added, "The latest inspection of this pub on 8 December 2022 by the Environmental Health Officer for Monmouthshire County Council resulted in the pub being awarded the maximum food hygiene rating of 5 (out of 5), which reflects the standards of cleanliness and hygiene which are now in place.
"Wetherspoon pubs have an average food hygiene rating of 4.98 (out of 5). Out of Wetherspoons’ 769 pubs in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, 754 pubs which have been assessed under the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme have been awarded a maximum 5 star rating."
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