Hot food has been shelved for passengers travelling aboard Red Funnel’s Red Eagle after a cockroach sighting onboard the cross-Solent ferry, with specialist pest control contractors called in to tackle the unwelcome visitor.
An Island Echo source claims the issue in the kitchen has been ongoing for ‘some weeks’, suggesting the invasive species may have been enjoying more than just the odd single trip across the Solent. However, Red Funnel has said the action it has taken comes after the sighting of a ‘single’ cockroach.
The cross-Solent operator has confirmed that a cockroach was sighted in ‘one area’ of Red Eagle, but has stopped short of revealing exactly where it was discovered.
It has been confirmed that Red Eagle is experiencing a series of kitchen closures which have and continue to prevent hot food from being prepared and served to hungry passengers.
Instead, those travelling aboard the vessel between East Cowes and Southampton are currently being offered pre-packaged food and drinks, with the ferry’s usual hot food offering temporarily shelved while pest-control specialists get to work.
Despite the unwelcome discovery, Red Eagle remains in service, with Red Funnel insisting that the suspension of hot food is purely a precautionary measure and that the issue has been reported to the relevant authorities.
Neil Chapman, Operations Director at Red Funnel, has said:
“Following the sighting of a cockroach in one area of Red Eagle, we have been working with specialist pest-control contractors.
Article continues below this advertisement “We are taking the matter seriously and have reported it to relevant authorities as required and are monitoring the situation closely. We have temporarily stopped serving hot food as a precaution.
“We’ll continue to monitor the situation closely, including reviewing the provision of food service as needed while the issue is being dealt with.
“The health and safety of our team and customers remains our priority.”
As the Red Eagle continues to sail between East Cowes and Southampton, no timeframe has been confirmed in regards to how long the kitchen closures will continue or when hot meals will make a return to the vessel.
