A popular Leeds takeaway which has been operating for 30 years was called “filthy” and “dirty” by inspectors who said the staff’s food hygiene knowledge was “poor”.
Jamaican eatery The Dutch Pot on Chapeltown Road was handed a damning one-star food hygiene rating by Leeds City Council, working on behalf of the Food Standards Agency. It’s the second worst hygiene rating possible, meaning “major improvements are necessary”.
Inspectors told staff to clean inside of the “filthy cold room”, especially the grilles, floor, ceiling, after visiting on November 9. They went on to tell them to “thoroughly” clean the lobby outside cold room, which had “filthy walls”.
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They were also told to clean the “dirty” hand contact points, plus the doors which were also “filthy”, the walk-in freezer and to clear away the “debris” on the floor and replace the rusty shelving. The kitchen ceiling was also in need of a clean.
The first-floor prep room was also found to be “dirty and in need of refurbishment”, they wrote “the walls, ceiling and the floor surfaces are dirty. The floor covering is torn.”
Staff were using a food safety handbook from 2008 – 14 years out of date. Their food hygiene knowledge was “very poor”. Food handlers had no recent food hygiene training, added the inspector.
The inspector also found an “obstruction” to the wash hand basin. High risk foods found held at low temperatures – chicken, curried goat, chicken patty, cooked chicken wings. Food was also found uncovered.
High risk food was also being defrosted at room temperature – which risks the harbouring of bacteria.
The owner of The Dutch Pot declined to comment.
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