Peterborough Indian restaurant receives damning food hygiene rating after inspectors find flies around onion bhajis and kitchen ‘soiled with dirt’

A Peterborough Indian restaurant has been hit with a damning food hygiene rating after inspectors observed onion bhajis cooling uncovered in an area where “a number of flies were present”, while also describing its kitchen as “soiled with dirt”.

Jenas, at 35 Brook Street, was visited by Peterborough City Council’s food hygiene inspectors on April 29, after which it was issued with a one-star rating.

Want more stories like this? Subscribe to our newsletter here

Documents of the visit were released by Peterborough City Council following a Freedom of Information request by the Peterborough Telegraph.

As a result of the April inspection, hygiene officers concluded that “major improvement” was required across the business’s management of food safety.

Whilst the cafe’s hygienic food handling was found to be ‘generally satisfactory’, inspectors found that there needed to be ‘major improvement necessary’ with regards to the management of food safety.

The cleanliness and condition of the restaurant’s facilities and building required ‘improvement necessary’, according to the report.

During the inspection on April 29, hygiene officers observed dough being stored in a “damaged and dirty” plastic bowl.

The kitchen was found to be “soiled with dirt and food debris”, including floors, walls, ceilings, fixtures, fittings and areas underneath equipment, increasing the risk of food contamination and pest attraction.

Inspectors found that there was no hot water available at the designated wash hand basin, and a double sink used for food washing was being used for hand washing.

At the time of inspection, “numerous flies” were observed in the food preparation and serving areas.

This, inspectors said, was due to the rear door being open, leading directly to the external environment and bin area.

“Cracked and damaged” wall tiles were observed in the kitchen, with an attempt made to repair them using brown sellotape, inspectors said.

The mixer machine was found to be “encrusted with food debris” and “soiled with dirt”.

Inspectors concluded that Jenas had no written Food Safety Management System in place at the time of the inspection, describing the level of food hygiene awareness amongst food handlers as “inadequate”.

A re-inspection will take place sometime on or after June 10, the report added.

Jenas was contacted for comment but has not responded at the time of publication.