TAKEAWAY bosses were told to make dozens of immediate improvements after being handed a one-out-of-five rating food hygiene rating.

Deli.sh, on Crellin Street in Barrow, was given the score after assessment on January 25.

According to the report, obtained by The Mail under freedom of information laws, 39 concerns were raised to the business needing action in a week.

Sam Halpin, manager of Deli.sh, said a revisit was imminent and that improvements had been made. 

He said: "They have asked us to do some work. So we have done the work and the retest is going to be any day now.

"All staff have got food hygiene certificates. All food has been stored correctly and everywhere has been cleaned."

Some of the hygiene concenrns included:

  • Chicken, leek and gammon pie filling was left to cool at room temperature in a large batch in the rear kitchen for approximately 3.5 hours.
  • Raw food was stored uncovered on the same shelf as and above cooked/ready to eat foods, in a refrigerator (raw Scotch Eggs with cooked sausages and raw sausage rolls with cooked bacon). 
  • The surfaces of the meat slicer in the upstairs kitchen were dirty with food residue, presenting a risk of bacterial growth and cross contamination.
  • The internal surfaces of the ovens were very dirty with food debris and residue.

There were also some issues identified with the building structure such as the floor coverings throughout the kitchens were found "very dirty with long-standing food debris and residues" and mould growth was spotted in one of the walls.

The breaches highlighted in the inspection had been brought to their attention on previous inspections over the past few years, said the report.

It said: "I must state that your current standards of hygiene and cleanliness in particular are totally unacceptable, and this has been reflected in your new food hygiene rating of one.

"The recurrence of these (along with the additional contraventions found on this occasion) implies that the business is not being effectively managed.

"Safety management systems were incomplete and not followed in some areas."

Measures were recommended to the business in order to promote good practice.

It was highlighted that the staff should undertake formal food hygiene training (Level 2) to support them in managing food safety and hygiene risks and applying a number label to each of the fridges and freezers so that they can be easily uniquely identified.