The owners, staff and customers of the Take Five Café in the Port Arcades Shopping Centre are celebrating after scoring a maximum of five stars by the Food Standards Agency.
The property was inspected last month with a thorough examination of the dining area, the storage cupboards, all of the kitchen and preparation areas, and each fridge and freezer.
Inspectors also checked the systems of food labelling and procedures for logging when foods have been opened, and the timing processes for when consumables must be used by were also checked.
Owner of Take 5, Lisa Sims, said: “We record everything from the temperature of the foods when they are cooked, to being kept in a heated cabinet and we check and record the temperature every hour.
“All cleaning is recorded, the inspectors noticed this and commended us!
“Since the opening of the café, we have also employed pest control contractors who inspect the premises every month and this is also recorded.”
Lisa added: “When we took over the lease we discovered the café had previously been awarded two stars for its food hygiene so we knew we had a bit of work to do to improve the situation dramatically.
“It did take us quite a long time to put things right before I had the confidence to open the café with a clean kitchen and eating area.”
One of the inspectors recognised Lisa and remembered giving her five stars when she was responsible for a college kitchen in Northwich.
It doesn’t end there either as Lisa, and her partner Allen Jones, previously owned an American-themed dinner in Altrincham, which they quickly took from a three- to a five-star hygiene rated property.
Lisa said: “I feel extremely proud that I have run three different kitchens in four years and I have got all of them to five stars.
“I feel so strongly that if you are preparing food for the public that you shouldn't cut any corners on food hygiene.”
Lisa added: “All of the team employed at Take 5 are thoroughly trained including the use of the hand washing system we use.
“They cannot touch any item of food with their hands, we have allocated utensils for all foods.
“We also use the best sanitiser for the tables and work surfaces and we have a hand sanitiser for the customers use, similar to the ones used in hospitals and doctor’s surgeries. The inspectors noticed all of these procedures.
“We are also very proud of our clean toilet and baby changing facilities that are cleaned and inspected throughout the day.”
Each business is given a hygiene rating when it is inspected by a food safety officer from the business’s local authority, on behalf of the FSA.
The hygiene rating shows how closely the business is meeting the requirements of food hygiene law.
At the end of the inspection, the business is given one of the six ratings.
The top rating of five means that the business was found to have very good hygiene standards.
Take 5 is open seven days a week in the Port Arcades Shopping Centre.
