‘I’d cook same day I had diarrhoea’, Nottinghamshire takeaway chef tells inspector

The inspector reminded him cooks have to wait 48 hours

Food hygiene

A chef at a Nottinghamshire takeaway told an inspector he would work on the same day he experienced diarrhoea or vomiting, according to a report.

The worker made the admission during a food hygiene inspection of the Royal Fryer in Huthwaite, which resulted in the premises being given a rating of one.

The manager of the eatery, who said he has imminent plans to leave the business, blamed the poor inspection on new staff who were not aware of hygiene rules.

Ashfield District Council’s environmental health team awarded the Royal Fryer, situated in Main Street, the second-lowest rating following a visit in January.

In a report seen by Nottinghamshire Live, an inspector says the chef on duty was asked when he would return to work after suffering from “diarrhoea and/or vomiting”.

In response the chef said that he would come back that evening, the report says.

“Staff should be ‘fit for work’ at all times. This means that they must not be suffering from, or carrying, an illness or disease that could cause a problem with food safety,” the inspector notes.

“People who are not ‘fit for work’ could spread harmful bacteria to food. Any member of staff who has diarrhoea and/or vomiting should report it to their manager immediately and either stay at home or go home straight away.

“People suffering from these symptoms often carry harmful bacteria on their hands and can spread them to food or equipment they touch. Staff should not return to work until they have had no symptoms for 48 hours.”

Jai Shah, who manages the Royal Fryer, said he had since sold the business and planned to hand over the premises next week.

He said the new owners planned to request a re-inspection by the environmental health team.

“Staff were new and didn’t know what the hygiene was,” said Mr Shah, referring to the inspection.

The chef at the takeaway was also criticised in the report for wearing his own clothes without any protective overclothing.

“Over clothing in a catering establishment is to protect the food from contaminants rather than the caterer from food spillages. Every person working in a food-handling area is to maintain a high degree of personal cleanliness and is to wear suitable, clean and, where necessary, protective clothing,” said the inspector.

They added there was a toilet which open directly into a room where food was handled, uncovered items in the chest freezer and no anti-bacterial soap in the preparation kitchen.