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Check the Hygiene status of your favourite canal side pub and restaurant

Woodstock

By Woodstock
in General Boating

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dmr Veteran II

dmr

Posted
Posted

I reckon Joshua speaks a lot of sense here, just ignore this stuff, its all just another aspect of our sad bureaucratic "tick box" culture.

 

I was talking to someone recently who told me they couldn't get a high rating because their kitchen did not have an approved stainless steel work surface or something like that. I suspect some places have all the equipment and staff with dirty habits, whilst others have an old kitchen and know exactly how to keep it clean.

I wonder if a copper work surface would be acceptable...intrinsically better than stainless steel!

 

However whenever I see an ambulance outside an Indian restaurant I do make a note to keep away.

 

..........Dave

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twbm Experienced

twbm

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Posted

Not a very good score then Trevor? ;)

 

Keith

 

Don't do food, so not scored. It's a pity we don't get to score the public though. Cleaning out the elsan disposal at Hillmorton was a pleasure compared to some of the things we find in our toilets.

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BlueStringPudding Veteran II

BlueStringPudding

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Could a rating of zero just mean its not been tested yet? Only I'd be very very surprised if The Grand Junction Arms at Bulbourne had a rating of 0 while The Cow Roast had a rating of 2. My surprise is purely based on which one gave me food poisoning once and the fact it also has snail trails on the carpets and walls (the latter)

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Grace and Favour Veteran II

Grace and Favour

Posted
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Interesting...checked our last marina...it scored just 2....that's a worry for the ladies that lunch! Our favourite pub scored a 4...phew! Whilst the pub opposite it scored a 1...glad I go where I go!!

For those thinking of eating at the Loughborough banter pub...a 4....good news!

 

I wonder if the Redhill Marina Cafe has a rating :lol:

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Doorman Veteran

Doorman

Posted
Posted (edited)

I recall as a young apprentice, having to repair the potato peeler in one of the three large canteens in The Ford Motor Co., factory in Halewood. As I was removing the peeler barrel from the machine, I discovered a mass of maggots living off the remains of the potatoes from under where the component was normally positioned. :sick:

 

Just above the peeler, was a stainless steel plaque fastened to the tiled wall, applauding the canteen for its food hygiene standards. After that experience I chose to eat elsewhere in the factory!

 

Don't always believe what's published on this subject. I've also witnessed some appalling hygiene neglect in restaurants and take-aways that would make your hair curl. Most of which had good reputations in their localities.

Edited by Doorman
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bizzard Veteran II

bizzard

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Years ago the rumor was that someone fell into the massive meat mixing tub whilst it was in motion at the Telfers meat pie factory in east London. This rumor spread like wildfire and no one bought or ate their pies for miles around for ages and ages. :mellow:

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Doorman Veteran

Doorman

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Years ago the rumor was that someone fell into the massive meat mixing tub whilst it was in motion at the Telfers meat pie factory in east London. This rumor spread like wildfire and no one bought or ate their pies for miles around for ages and ages. :mellow:

 

They say that a 100 year old rat was found in the Guinness brewery in Dublin recently, but that hasn't stopped me drinking the stuff! :cheers:

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Emerald Collaborator

Emerald

Posted
Posted

Hi

 

The link below lets you check the food hygiene status of a catering establishment- pubs and restaurants etc

 

http://ratings.food.gov.uk/search/en-GB?sm=1

 

I was shocked to see that the eatery in a marina I use achieved zero stars- I wont name it- but was disgusted. My favourite pub in the village got 5 stars- so I know where I'm eating now

 

There is an app version which works quite nicely.

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Doorman Veteran

Doorman

Posted
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Do they still brew it in Dublin?

 

Didn't it get outsourced to Tawain or somewhere similar..?

 

Although it's a while since I've been back to Dublin but I believe it's still brewed there. My late Uncle John who drank gallons of the stuff, used to laugh at how the Dublin Infirmary was situated just across the road from the brewery. "Ideal" he said, "just when you're in the feckin hospital to be drying out from the stuff!" What a great character he was.

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bizzard Veteran II

bizzard

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We used to find dead wasps in our school dinners, ''even in the winter'' just shows how long it had been kept standing. I vividly remember the stew, ''lots of stew about in those days'' the meat in it was Offal, all chopped up ''Lights'' and stuff. But still I suppose it was a bargain at a shilling '5p' a day, five bob a week.

 

Although it's a while since I've been back to Dublin but I believe it's still brewed there. My late Uncle John who drank gallons of the stuff, used to laugh at how the Dublin Infirmary was situated just across the road from the brewery. "Ideal" he said, "just when you're in the feckin hospital to be drying out from the stuff!" What a great character he was.

Reminds me of the Dubliner that drank a pint of varnish in mistake for a pint of Guiness. He suffered a horrible death but he had a lovely finish.

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churchward Veteran II

churchward

Posted
Posted (edited)

Do they still brew it in Dublin?

 

Didn't it get outsourced to Tawain or somewhere similar..?

Guinness is brewed in many places around the world for the local markets the 3rd largest market is in Nigeria where the product almost exclusively comes in bottles and has a sweeter taste to the Irish/UK variety.

 

Not surprisingly the 1st and 2nd largest markets are in the UK and Ireland. It is still brewed in St James Gate, Dublin. The Breweries in Dundalk and Kilkenny have or are closing. No longer brewed of course for some years now in the at Park Royal (UK) where the Brewery site is no more.

 

One of the reasons for this is that Guinness in draft form is a product that has a short shelf life and is best when drunk fresh from the brewery.

Edited by churchward
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Ally Influencer

Ally

Posted
Posted (edited)

I've noticed over the last year or so that the only stickers that you see displayed in the restaurants are ones scoring 4 or 5. Perhaps all food establishments should be made to display their rating on the door. How many people know about or have access to this website?

 

Very useful though, and should do much to improve general standards.

I thought if they had been graded, they DID have to display their rating? I could be wrong :unsure: but I'm sure I'd heard that. Perhaps the lower rated ones just find a less prominent place to put their rating, whilst the 4's & 5's get them out front!

 

edit: No, just looked it up on the food.gov site, and they don't have to....but perhaps if they don't display one, that in itself would tell you something.......

Edited by Ally
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Arphamoe Contributor

Arphamoe

Posted
Posted

Guinness is brewed in many places around the world for the local markets the 3rd largest market is in Nigeria where the product almost exclusively comes in bottles and has a sweeter taste to the Irish/UK variety.

 

Not surprisingly the 1st and 2nd largest markets are in the UK and Ireland. It is still brewed in St James Gate, Dublin. The Breweries in Dundalk and Kilkenny have or are closing. No longer brewed of course for some years now in the at Park Royal (UK) where the Brewery site is no more.

 

One of the reasons for this is that Guinness in draft form is a product that has a short shelf life and is best when drunk fresh from the brewery.

A million years ago, when a young 'bobby' working at Ealing, we used to regularly drink at the Park Royal club - finst product there outside the Irish home!! Happy days :cheers: :cheers: !!

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churchward Veteran II

churchward

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A million years ago, when a young 'bobby' working at Ealing, we used to regularly drink at the Park Royal club - finst product there outside the Irish home!! Happy days :cheers: :cheers: !!

Yep. The fresher it is the better it tastes.

 

I worked with Diageo (Guinness Group Owners) for nearly 4 years at their headquarters in Park Royal and in the beginning in the offices in the brewery itself. In the Head Office Bar (yep there was a bar) the Guinness was as about as good as you could get. Happy days indeed! :cheers:

Edited by churchward
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Dave_P Veteran

Dave_PDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted

I occasionally have to do food premises inspections which lead to these scores, as part of my work. Currently not all local authorities are signed up (e.g. Solihull as John6767 pointed out). As Ally says, it's not compulsory to display your score - yet! That may come soon.

 

The inspection criteria is, to my mind, pretty straighforward, covering things such as:

 

Do staff wash their hands when they should?

Do staff receive any food hygiene training?

Is the kitchen area cleaned properly?

Are fridges and freezers at the correct temperatures?

Is food properly cooked?

 

It's not actually that difficult to get 5 stars if you do the sorts of things which common sense says you should. Personally I wouldn't touch anything scoring less than 3 stars.

 

I take the earlier point about the dangers of living in an overly sterile world but if you saw the state of the kitchens in some 0 or 1 star places, I doubt you'd want to take a chance!

 

Here's the link to the iphone app version, which can show all the places nearest to where you are My link

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