A STOCKTON Brook pub has been told to make some improvements after being visited by health inspectors.
The Hollybush, in Stanley Street, was visited on January 18, by officials acting on behalf of Staffordshire Moorlands District Council.
The health inspectors’ findings have been published on www.ratemyplace.org.uk and the pub received a three-star rating out of a possible five.
Staff at the pub have been instructed to ‘stop immediately’ the way that stock is made for gravies from vegetables and meat bones.
The report states: “Discussions revealed that the stockpot is sometimes left on a low simmer overnight. This practice must stop immediately. There is a high risk of Clostridium perfringens (a form of bacteria) reproducing in the stock due to it not being stirred and currents and formation of cool spots within the pan.”
Cooks at the pub have been told it is essential to produce smaller quantities of stock and to never leave the hob unattended.
The officer said he was ‘disappointed’ to see that the kitchen due diligence log had not been completed since January 2, and the staff were instructed to restart it immediately.
The report stated that it was not always clear which items had been checked for cooking temperatures.
It also said that lamb shanks and chickens were left to cool at room temperature in the front kitchen, which slows down the cooling process and presents ideal conditions for food poisoning bacteria to grow.
The soft drinks dispenser heads, in the bar, were found in an unclean condition and staff have been asked to ‘thoroughly clean the nozzles’.
Close to the kitchen door, the gully in the rear yard was blocked and staff have been instructed to remove any blockage to ensure waste water can drain away effectively.