This article has been updated to include the comments of a representative from Cantley House after the News was previously unable to reach them. Scroll down to read what the establishment's manager told the News.
THE boss of Wokingham’s Cantley House Hotel has revealed his 'shock' after his establishment's restaurant got a ‘two’ food hygiene rating after being inspected earlier this year.
The four-star hotel and country club, on Milton Road, was awarded the grade meaning 'some improvement is necessary'.
But now bosses say they have taken action to get the restaurant's score back to its best after concerns were raised about out-of-date food, cross-contamination and dirty equipment.
READ MORE: Invasive Japanese hotspots revealed
What did the food hygiene report say about the establishment?
A local authority officer inspected the hotel’s kitchen in January.
In their report, which was only made available to the News earlier this month, the inspector marked food hygiene and safety as ‘poor’, structural compliance as ‘fair’ and noted ‘some’ confidence in management.
Food hygiene inspectors found ready to eat foods past their use-by dates, including frozen cooked turkey chunks almost two weeks out of date, frozen cooked ham and chilled foie gras.
These foods were chucked away as waste after the visit.
READ MORE: CCTV released after bank card stolen from 80-year-old woman
An inspector also raised concerns about vacuum wrapping of foods being done “under conditions that are not hygienic.”
In their report, the inspecting officer wrote they ‘suspected’ the hotel’s vacuum packing machine had been used to “wrap both raw meat and ready-to-eat/cooked foods”.
The officer assumed this because “all the vacuum wrapped raw and ready-to-eat foods stored to chilled and frozen accomodation had a close-fitting vacuum fit around the food, which indicated to me that the… vacuum packing machine, labelled as raw, had been used to wrap both raw and ready-to-eat foods”.
This practice could lead to “serious food contamination risks” and “consumer illness”, the officer noted in their report.
Bosses at Cantley House were told by the officer they could not use the vacuum packing equipment again until they had demonstrated to Wokingham Borough Council chiefs they had taken “corrective actions” to make the technology safe to use for ready-to-eat foods.
After their inspection, the officer also raised concerns about a drinking glass being in use in the kitchen, which could “present a serious food contamination risk should the glass break”.
READ MORE: The latest results from court
The interior of the hotel’s vacuum packing machine was “visibly dirty with food debris”, and bosses were told it “must be kept clean”.
What do Cantley House bosses have to say about the inspection?
An earlier version of this article indicated The News contacted Cantley House Hotel for a comment, but did not receive a response.
Since the article was published, a representative from the establishment has been in touch to explain their side of the story.
Thomas Ambers, manager at Cantley House Hotel, told the News: "Our ratings from the past five years have either been five or four stars.
“We have had the same kitchen brigade for the past five years.
“Unfortunately, at the time of the inspection, the inspector found one of the vac-pack machines was not working.
“This happened when the head chef was away and it was not reported.
“We have since taken action and purchased a new vac-pack machine.
“The equipment we purchased was very expensive — it was £3,500 for the professional vac-pack machine.
“We have take action straight away. We have also appealed the decision.
“Therefore it says at the moment we are pending a visit.
“The visit would have otherwise taken place by now.
“Obviously, the next visit is not going to happen now because we are in a lockdown.
“In one or two fridges they found food that was out of date.
“It doesn’t mean that we would ever use produce that is out of date.
“Before any produce is used by our chefs, we always check whether the food is in date.
“My head chef has worked at Michelin-starred restaurants and multiple other places.
“We are an establishment that takes great care to make sure the quality of produce is the highest there is.
“I am in a way shocked we have received a low hygiene rating level."
Currently, the hotel is listed as ‘awaiting inspection’ on the Food Standard Agency’s website.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here