Cookies and Cream Crookes in Sheffield was inspected on July 23
Cookies and Cream Crookes has been handed a food hygiene rating of one(Image: Google Maps)
A Sheffield dessert shop has been using mouldy chopping boards, soiled dishcloths and staff there never washed their hands, a food safety inspection has found.
The Food Standards Agency conducted an inspection of Cookies and Cream Crookes in Sheffield on July 23 this year. It found the cafe, which sells various desserts and milkshakes, failed to ensure its food was safe, clean and provided with suitable allergy information. The cafe was handed a food hygiene rating of one.
The inspection found staff using mouldy chopping boards to prepare food, an unclean blender that had been used to make milkshakes and break down pistachio nuts, which is a serious cross-contamination issue, and failing to properly wash utensils and other cooking equipment. The inspection was particularly concerned with the venue’s allergen protocols. It served a stop notice to the cafe on serving any customers with a declared food allergy.
Issues included failing to have a sign telling customers to inform them of a food allergy, no ingredient information on loose food items or items wrapped not in their original packaging, and failing to effectively clean down cooking utensils and surfaces before preparing food without certain ingredients. This included using a blender to make milkshakes and crush pistachio nuts. The inspector said the death of a young person had been attributed to using one jug without effective disinfectant and cleaning between uses.
The inspection also found Cookies and Cream Crookes did not have a list of all the ingredients used in its food, and it was uncertain whether some cakes were home-made. There was also no list with key information on all the food and ingredient suppliers used.
The report said staff did not know chilled food must be stored at 8C or below, while insufficient thermometers were available to check the temperature of fridges and freezers. Daily records of fridge and freezer temperatures were also not taken, while there was an unidentified item of food left in one of the freezers.
The inspector said they did not see any staff member wash their hands once. There was no designated hand-washing sink available, and they instructed that two mouldy, white chopping boards must be discarded immediately.
The cleanliness of the facilities there was also highlighted as a significant problem. The report said dish cloths kept there were in a “soiled condition”, while staff “did not understand how to wash or clean”. They did not use soap to clean utensils, only ran cookware under a running tap. Areas of the shop were found to be dirty and in need of a thorough clean, including the under-counter freezers, the microwave, the shop floor, and the fronts and internal surfaces of the display units.
Additional concerns included the toilet opening directly into a room where food was being stored, and the sink outside the toilet not having any hand soap or hand drying materials.
YorkshireLive has contacted Cookies and Cream Crookes for a response to the inspection
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