A burger restaurant claiming to use the ‘finest ingredients’ was revealed as a filth pit with grease covering almost every surface.
Photographs show how the kitchen was not properly cleaned, with raw chicken dumped in a salad container, paint peeling from the walls and a broken tap bizarrely replaced with a torn and mouldy rubber glove and cable ties.
The customer facing area of Yum Burger restaurant in Normanton, Derbyshire, looked neat and clean, with the chain-of-three’s Instagram page boasting almost 4,000 followers.
But behind the scenes, hygiene levels were not up to scratch.
Inspectors from Derby City Council realised the state of the burger bar in May and gave it a one star rating, the worst possible.
Hygienic food handling and cleanliness of facilities were rated as ‘improvement necessary’ while management of food safety was rated as ‘major improvement necessary’.
When inspectors came back to check again, the issues still hadn’t been fixed.
Yum Burger’s Derby branch is rated 2 on Tripadvisor, with 3 one star reviews and one five star.
One unhappy customer wrote: ‘Sure they name stuff funny names, foods served in fancy packaging but honestly to be served a raw burger is an absolute horror. Do not order from here […] this place is a dank horrible mess.’
However, another review praised the ‘amazing service, food and timing’.
The takeaway boasts their burgers are ‘made with love’ and promises customers an ‘unforgettable cheeseburger experience’.
But the council report said there was dirt and debris around the kitchens and chillers, especially where the flooring was coming away from the wall.
The inside of the fridge was dirty with old food scraps and grease. Filth coated door handles, switches, a sandwich toaster, and drinks machine, and filters were missing from cooker canopies.
A fire alarm was found hanging from the wall by exposed wires and a plug socket in the kitchen had worrying scorch marks on the side.
Fridge temperatures were too high, leading to bacteria growing or toxins forming in food. The walk-in freezer was not found to be working meaning food inside was defrosted.
In relation to the bodged tap repair inspectors said: ‘As this cannot be cleaned and sanitised, the tap must be repaired or be replaced.’
Even after the visit of an engineer, fridges were not working properly on the
inspector’s second visit.
The inspector added: ‘I was disappointed that issues were still outstanding at my revisit and had not been addressed.’
Yum Burger did not respond to a request for comment, however a member of staff told the BBC that the failings had now been addressed.
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