Thai Mukda – a restaurant in the heart of Shanklin – has been given a 1-star food hygiene rating and will now close for the Winter months to rectify the problems found by Environmental Health inspectors. Officials from the Isle of Wight Council found numerous faults in the operation of the High Street establishment when they visited in September. Among the faults was the unsatisfactory cleanliness in the kitchen including the hand wash basins, worktop units, food mixer, shelving units, cooking ranges and the entirety of the extraction canopy. There were various things that needed repairing or replacing in the kitchen such as the legs of the sink, cupboards, and shelving. The floor in the kitchen was also noticed to be breaking up with pieces of paint sticking to the shoes of the inspector as they walked through the premises. Polystyrene and cardboard were being used to line shelves and some work surfaces as well as to store prepared ready-to-eat salads. These materials are not designed to be re-used in this way as they can’t be correctly cleaned and disinfected and risk harbouring dangerous bacteria. The inspector noticed that the chopping boards that were being used were in a dirty condition, noting that they hadn’t been cleaned throughout the day. At the time of the inspection, there was a risk of accidentally contaminating food with allergens not contained in the dish because stored foods such as flour and nuts were not sealed in clearly labelled airtight containers. The restaurant was told to review its storing and handling processes. There was heavy vegetation around the waste bins along with other redundant equipment preventing effective cleaning and the monitoring of pests. A spokesperson for Thai Mukda has said:
“I would like for the readers to be made aware that the rating of 1 star is due to the structural requirement and improvements needed to be done to the structure due to the old age of the building. “We will be closed during winter to implement these improvements and we hope to see our customers again soon”.
Food Hygiene Rating – Scores on the Doors
Compliance with food hygiene and safety procedures – 10 Compliance with structural requirements – 20 Confidence in management/control procedures – 10
