A fine-dining restaurant had to shut for six days after a concerning food hygiene inspection.
Chapter 2 in West Bridgford, which only opened in July, is run by chef Nichola Thompson, who was trained by Gordon Ramsey and also owns Table 47 on Bridlesmith Gate in Nottingham.
But when inspectors visited the premises on Pavilion Road, on September 18, they found an “imminent risk of serious injury to health”, including mouldy cheese, meat that was long past its best before date and fridges that weren’t turned on.
The building was also found to be in “severe structural disrepair”.
The situation was bad enough that inspectors told Ms Thompson she had to shut in order to sort out the issues, and she agreed to a “voluntary closure agreement”.
She asked inspectors to come back six days later on September 24, which they did and found sufficient action had been taken to mitigate the risk to health.
Ms Thompson said that the business was “not fully operational” at the time inspectors visited and that the premises, which is in a basement, “has had many issues” including some with drainage, including blockages.
But on the night in question, the business was trading and customers were present for an advertised dinner and dining experience between 6pm and 11pm.
The inspector found parmesan, mozzarella balls and cheddar cheese being stored and a fridge which, containing cheese, crab and crème fraiche amongst other items, was also operating at room temperature.
There was even a fridge that wasn’t switched on because it wasn’t near a plug socket and there was no extension cable to plug it in.
In that fridge there was raw cod.
Mouldy food was also found, including cheese and creme fraiche, while “several” packs of duck leg were found to be past their best before date of August 22 by nearly a month.
And there were insects in the food preparation room, which was described as “extremely small” with limited food preparation surfaces for the separation of raw and ready to eat foods, and no ventilation.
Structurally, the drains connected to sinks used for food prep and washing equipment were blocked.
There was a builder’s bucket in one of the sinks containing dirty water and dirty equipment.
And only one of the sinks had a hot water supply.
Standards of cleaning at the restaurant were described as “poor”, with no disinfectant or sanitiser for cleaning and disinfection of food surfaces and no sink for food handlers to wash their hands in the food prep room.
The sink in the bar had no running water at all, nor did it have anywhere for people to dry their hands.
Fridge handles, cloths, chopping boards, pans, oven trays and the oven itself were all dirty.
And the walls and floors were described not suitable for a restaurant, due to their inability to be cleaned easily.
Management issues were also evident, the report says, with food safety procedures and practices not in place or documented and no arrangements in place for the maintenance and monitoring of suitable food temperatures of high-risk food.
Chapter 2, like Table 47, is not a traditional walk-in restaurant but has to be booked in advance and offers dining experiences with multiple-course bespoke menus and a long table at which diners can observe food being prepared.
Its dark-lit, low-roofed design takes inspiration from the style of American speakeasies – bars that sold alcohol illicitly during the Prohibition of the 1920s and early 1930s.
It was less than two months after opening that the food hygiene inspector visited.
Ms Thompson told inspectors that some food served at the premises was prepared at a kitchen off-site, on Derby Road in Nottingham, and that Nottingham City Council had carried out a food hygiene inspection there.
Similarly, she told the LDRS that food for “all dining and events” was prepared off site at a “five-star” facility.
But the report says “this was not the case” and there is no record of the facility having been inspected on Nottingham City Council’s currently-published records.
On October 30, food hygiene officers visited the premises again to ensure that the remaining work from the inspection report had been completed.
Outstanding works, however, were still identified, and five Food Hygiene Improvement Notices were served, which include the requirement for structural improvements to the kitchen and adjacent room to make them “structurally compliant”, as well as the review and implementation of a food safety management system.
Ms Thompson said: “(The inspectors) actually came when we weren’t fully operational/open. The project has taken a lot longer than expected.
“The building has had many issues. When (the inspectors) came we had some drainage/blockage issues. We had a lot of teething problems to sort before we’ve been able to be fully operational. (The inspectors) have been back and are happy with the new kitchen and drainage facilities.”
The restaurant has until December 1 to fix the issues.
By Joseph Connolly, Local Democracy Reporter
