A family-run takeaway restaurant in Bristol has turned around its one-star hygiene rating in less than two months.
Marling Fish Bar, famous for its strong vegetarian-vegan menu, in the St George area, was rated one out of five stars by the Food Standards Agency following an inspection in March of this year. An inspector deemed that "major improvement was needed" on the management of food safety, stripping the restaurant of the five-star rating it had carried for several years.
The cleanliness and condition of the facilities and building and hygienic food handling were both found to be in a generally "satisfactory condition". It was the management of food safety, however, that brought down the rating for the takeaway restaurant.
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YuanJin Liu, 28, the manager of Marling, explained how the main points were surrounding the display of allergy information and gaps in the food safety booklet, which is mandatory to complete under the regulations set by the Food Standards Agency. He said they were not informed about these practices by the previous owner when they took over three years ago.
Speaking to Bristol Live, YuanJin Liu said: "Everything was sorted by the next day. It was a lot of small issues which meant we were minus a lot of points [on our report]. We did not understand." The kitchen was also called out for defrosting meat incorrectly on one occasion and the malpractice of storing open cans in the fridge, both of which were quickly rectified by staff.
The business was able to remain open despite the one-star rating because the conditions of the kitchen were so clean, and the faults were mostly due to the gaps in the business' food hygiene literature, he said. "As a business, we always try to give and give. We don't want Food Hygiene coming in and seeing a really bad area."
Mr Liu continued: "It's new knowledge. These things - like the cans in the fridge - we never knew that. They said we had a nice clean area and you can see all the small problems that if no one told you you would never know."
But after less than two months, the Marling Road Chinese takeaway was reinstated with its five-out-of-five rating. It shared the news on its Facebook page showing snapshots of the report, highlighting the inspector's confidence in management and control procedures along with compliance with food and safety procedures. The takeaway shared images of the new rating displayed proudly in their window once again.
He added he was really appreciative of the support they have received from their loyal customer base. "We really, really thank them for that, honestly. Thanks for the support because that's how we can carry on going."
Marling is popular with the vegetarian and vegan community with around half of its dishes catered to a plant-based diet. It offers fish and chips along with numerous Chinese dishes, including the ever-popular vegan chicken balls and a meat-free version of duck pancakes. They are continuously praised for their excellent service and friendly staff who go above and beyond for their customers - detailed in the near-perfect reviews on its Facebook page.
Many fans of the takeaway were undeterred by its one-star rating for a brief period. Commenting below Marling's post sharing the news, Sam Fisher said: "Bet that is a relief! Nothing would keep us away anyway."
Heike Faulhaber added: "Best vegan Chinese food in Bristol. Never any question."
