The full details of why Sam’s Chicken in Ryde received a zero food hygiene rating have been revealed, with shocking revelations that staff failed to wash their hands after touching raw meat, that dead flies could contaminate food and that the chips freezer was mouldy.
The Union Street takeaway, owned and operated by J&J Fastfood Limited, was inspected by the Isle of Wight Council’s Environmental Health team on 12th November.
Inspectors found a number of the same food hygiene contraventions that were previously discussed with the owners and were so shocked by what they found that they awarded a zero rating – the lowest possible score.
When the takeaway first opened it was rated ‘good’ (4) by health inspectors, but this dropped to a 2 ‘improvement necessary’ rating in January 2020 and is now down to 0 as of November 2021.
Island Echo can reveal the detailed findings of the local authority’s inspection team – some of which makes for uncomfortable reading…
- Food handlers were seen not to wash their hands after handling raw chicken and before handling other foods or touching food equipment. This was evident by the floury fingerprints on practically every piece of equipment and work surface throughout the kitchen
- Raw meat was being stored above and immediately adjacent to ready-to-eat foods (i.e cheese slices, drinks and containers of mayonnaise) in the walk-in chiller
- A pair of plastic blue gloves were found turned inside out in the tray of flour/crumb mix used for coating the raw chicken
- Containers of cooked chicken were stored immediately next to raw chicken in the fridge within the kitchen
- No checks were being made to confirm that chicken was being cooked to 75c or above
- The seal to the lid of the chips freezer was mouldy and the hinges and handle were broken
- The inside of the microwave was rusty and dirty and incapable of being adequately cleaned
- The yellow chopping board was badly scored and ingrained with mould
- The lead to the temperature probe built into the oven was wrapped in plastic and tape and was covered in carbonated food debris and grime
- The location of the electric fly killer above the bread toaster and chopping boards may lead to the contamination of food by dead flies
- No system of stock rotation and control for pre-prepared sauces
- The shelves within the chicken fridge had food residue spilt on all of them
- Yet again the floor and gas pipework behind the cooker and fryers were covered in grease and old food debris
- Yet again all the handles to fridges throughout the kitchen were covered in food debris
- No lighting within the walk-in freezer to allow effective cleaning, monitoring and inspection of food to take place
- No readily available hot or warm water or materials for the hygienic drying of hands at the wash hand basin provided in the kitchen, which was also obstructed from use by a dustbin in front of it and chopping boards and knives placed on top of it
In response to the news of a zero rating, a representative of Sam’s Chicken told Island Echo last month that the reason for the failings revolved around trying to keep up with the maintenance of an old building, alongside a few extra requirements from inspectors. They said that building maintenance required to be carried out following the recent inspection has been completed and the store is awaiting an inspector to return for a re-inspection.
Sam’s Chicken says they are doing everything they can to fix the problems encountered.
A spokesperson for the Isle of Wight Council has said:
“Our inspection of Sam’s Chicken in Ryde in late 2021 resulted in a zero-star rating.
“We have been working with the premises operators to ensure that urgent improvements were made and can confirm that progress has been made.
“There was a revisit to the premises which was completed on 30th December 2021, where standards were found to be greatly improved.
UPDATE TUESDAY – A spokesperson for Sam’s Chicken has said:
“We held our hands up following the poor inspection. 97% of our restaurants are rated four or five.
“We are working really hard with our franchisee and his team to get them to the required standards.
“We recently had a really positive follow-up inspection and we’re confident we’ll get a much higher standard and score at this restaurant and ongoing regular unannounced inspections will be carried out to ensure the standards do not fall again”.
Food Hygiene Rating – Scores on the Doors
Compliance with food hygiene and safety procedures – 20
Compliance with structural requirements – 15
Confidence in management/control procedures – 30
Total score: 65 (0 rating)
I’d have closed it down.
Yes I agree it should be closed at least until it has been dealt with! Even then I can’t see how anyone is going to go back in there ever again. Just close permanently. They have caused great danger to the health of the public.
More places should be inspected ad hoc to check safety standards. There are a few in Ryde I’ve seen with staff not wearing masks or gloves to prepare food. Food not covered all day or in warming cabinets for hours on end. I didn’t think that was allowed any more? They should undergo training before they’re able to open their doors for business.
I have never been in there – took one look at it from the outside on the day it opened and thought – nope, that place won’t be any good or clean
and here we are – it deserves to be closed – permanently and those running it and working there, charged with endangering public health due to incompetence and laziness.
Instead of a big fat 0, why are they not shut down?
This report is extremely disturbing, and the Inspectors need to be given more powers to deal with these public health hazards.
The really surprising thing to me though, is that it is not compulsory to display the green and black rating signs.
In Wales and Northern Ireland it is a legal requirement to display Hygiene Rating signs, but in England it is voluntary !
If it is a bad rating it is perfectly legal to bin the sign.
We urgently need an Island Bye-Law as soon as possible, to rectify this ludicrous situation.
that reminds me of when it was a KFC, i had fried flies in me chips and the server didnt even think to wash his hands after having a smoke right outside the door, it not the same staff there is it
Unbelievable!! Served food to elderly and young knowing they could harm them as well! Disgusting. Need closing down for good. I can’t believe they don’t know what they should do in a food establishment, obviously didn’t care. Thoroughly upset and disappointed. Know why we have Ben I’ll know the past. Makes feel incredibly sick.
We as the public should have the right of protection, ie close the place down! Hopefully enough potential customers see this article = job done.
And yet it’s still open and serving food?
Some people are stupid enough to go there. The frontage and look of the place should be enough to put anyone off, but obviously not.
Surly if you score a zero with such a bad inspection you should have your licence to trade revoked and be closed down, as it is they can still trade. crazy
If you look up J&J Fastfood Limited on Companies House – they haven’t filed any accounts since 2017 either. No respect for food hygiene laws or company accounting laws either it seems.
Spot on Zippy . Companies House need their remit changing, companies should be scrutinised and bad directors banned from future directorships.
Many criminals use Limited Companies to hide behind, and to distance themselves from debts and responsibility, the whole system needs tightening up.
Bankruptcy rules also need tightening, people do get into a situation of insolvency by no fault of their own, but it should be a requirement to repay the money when they can. More than one bankruptcy should not be permitted and they should be banned from directorships, as should those with criminal convictions..
If it was that bad why was it not ordered to cease trading immediately, it begs the question of how bad does a business have to be before the council act to protect the public.
And what does it say about the people working in that place.
Filthy dirty and disgusting to be working in that place.
Shut it down.
Don’t use the place or any other places that have charged good money for getting sick!!!!!
Environmental Health get tougher.
Yes the authorities aren’t tough enough I agree. Softly softly approach as usual. Grow some and do the right thing! Our health should be top priority, they could kill people for goodness sake!
Should have been closed down immediately until the next inspection. I think if anyone with a 0 star rating stays open, there should be a big sign on the door listing the reasons why. And at least a big sign THAT DAY reading 0 ensuring the public know that they’re about to walk into a death trap – it’s taken too long for the public to know.
This is such a shame. I use to love Sams Popcorn wings! That’s me finished now. There was also a big issue about 4 months ago with the staff allowing the takeaway to be used by chavvy kids, as a meeting up room and who are putting off people from going in there too
It might not be closed down but good that island echo put this article in because word will whip round and hopefully will be avoided. Even if they sort all of those issues out I would not step foot in there for food as the people that run it are obviously the most unhygienic things about the place.. You either are or you aren’t and a little health and hygiene course prob won’t fix that.
As a chef, I am discussed by these findings and it makes difficult reading of what they found. It’s just by the grace of god nobody has been killed or made seriously ill. Should be permanently closed. If they don’t learn once, when will they???
OMG. How is this place STILL OPEN??? Utterly disgusting!!! IWC – do you want people to become seriously ill or die before you take action??!! This place should have been SHUT DOWN IMMEDIATELY and the owners FINED HUGELY. I cannot believe I am reading this. DISGRACEFUL.