Ireland

Closure orders: Rodent droppings and grime found in kitchens at Fitzpatrick’s Castle Hotel, Killiney

Retailer Fresh, Musashi sushi and a number of outlets in Dublin’s Moore Street Mall also hit with FSAI orders

The closure order served on Killiney Hotels Limited, which operates Fitzpatrick’s Castle Hotel, was specific to the Albert & Behan Kitchen, PJ’s Kitchen and Mapas Kitchen on the premises

Tim O'Brien
Thu May 9 2024 - 15:20

A closure order was served on three kitchens in Fitzpatrick’s Castle Hotel in Killiney, Co Dublin after rodent droppings, grime and stagnant water were noted by food safety inspectors.

The closure order was among 21 imposed on food businesses by HSE environmental health officers in April, according to a report published by Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) on Thursday. FSAI chief executive Dr Pamela Byrne said the number of closure orders issued last month was “alarming”.

The closure order served on Killiney Hotels Limited, which operates Fitzpatrick’s Castle Hotel, was specific to the Albert & Behan Kitchen, PJ’s Kitchen and Mapas Kitchen on the premises.

HSE inspectors said debris, including an old sprouting potato and rodent droppings, were found on the floor of the Albert and Behan kitchen. An inspector’s report said “the floor and pipework underneath and behind the cooking equipment were ingrained with grease, grime, dirt and aged food”.

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In relation to PJ’s Kitchen, the HSE said the floor was “ingrained with grease, grime, dirt and food debris, in particular underneath the dishwasher, the fryers and the service fridges”. The inspector also noted a shelving unit storing clean crockery was in “an unclean condition” and contained pieces of broken crockery.

The report on Mapas Kitchen found “the floor underneath the cooking equipment was ingrained with grease, grime, dirt and aged food debris. A pool of stagnant water was also noted underneath this equipment”.

In addition, the inspector’s report said “old potato chips from the previous day were found in the chip frying baskets and broken equipment and crockery were found on the floor underneath the dishwasher in this kitchen”. The inspector also noted aged food debris in and on top of an obsolete chest freezer. An old chicken bone and rodent droppings were found on the floor in this area.

The HSE said “the food business operator failed to establish and maintain and provide evidence of a food safety culture”. The closure order was imposed on Killiney Castle on April 15th and the records show it was lifted two days later on April 17th.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the hotel owners Mark and Joseph Scott Lennon said they were “shocked to be advised late on Monday 15th April”, that “a closure order had been issued to our kitchen facilities, due to cleanliness issues”.

“Immediate measures were taken to rectify the issues and the kitchens reopened Wednesday morning, 17th April”.

The hoteliers said “in the 53 year history of our family business, nothing like this has happened before and we are doing everything in our power, working with our external Health and Safety consultant, our own team and the Health Inspector to ensure that nothing like this ever happens again.

“We want to reassure everyone that, in all aspects of our operations, we strive to exceed the standard requirements. There was a lapse in our systems which have been addressed and we are fully compliant and confident it will remain this way.”

Among the other premises served with closure orders in April was Musashi Noodles and Sushi of 15 Capel Street, Dublin 1.

The inspector’s repot noted: “The foul drain in the kitchen in the basement is malfunctioning and leaking. This has resulted in dirty water spraying onto food (including prawns), food preparation surfaces, food preparation workers handling food and onto the ceiling where it was dripping down into the food preparation area, where high risk, ready-to-eat foods including salad, is prepared.”

The inspector said staff had confirmed the pipe had been malfunctioning in this way for “three months plus”. The closure order was issued on April 15th and lifted on April 18th.

At Georgian Delight, Kitchen 3 in the Moore Street Mall, Dublin 1, an inspector noted evidence of mice and cockroach infestation including a live mouse in a trap and cockroach activity on a shelf above a food preparation area, on top of a fridge and underneath an oven. No date for the lifting of the order was published by the FSAI.

Sabor Nordestino, also in the Moore Street Mall, was served with a closure order relating to an “ongoing cockroach” infestation. No date for the lifting of the order was published.

Other outlets in the Moore Street Mall and along the street itself were also served with closure order.

Elsewhere, the Ballsy Baker, of St Mochtas Lawn, Clonsilla, Dublin 15, was served with a closure order in relation to its preparation, production and sale of food products with the claim ‘Nut Free’ and ‘Gluten Free’.

It was noted that food product ingredients used to prepare and produce food with the claim ‘nut free’ and ‘gluten free’ “were stored in the premises, with limited space, that also contains tree nuts, peanuts and gluten”. The closure was imposed on April 11th and lifted on April 23rd.

A closure order was also imposed on Fresh at Capital Dock in Dublin 2. The inspector’s report cited mice droppings and said the premises was not adequately pest proofed. The closure order was imposed on April 16th and lifted on April 18th.

The full list of closure orders imposed in April:

1. Ginger Lillies Chinese Restaurant, 18 Mulgrave Street, Limerick

2. Medina Kebab (Lets Eat) (Take away), 329 Blarney Street, Cork

3. Georgian Delight (service sector), Kitchen 3, 58-66 Parnell Street, Moore Street Mall, Moore Street, Dublin 1

4. Sabor Nordestino (restaurant/cafe), 58-66 Parnell Street, Moore Street Mall, Moore Street, Dublin 1

5. Spicy Bite (restaurant/cafe), Unit 1, Moore Mall, Moore Street, Dublin 1

6. Mroz (retailer), Moore Street Mall, Moore Street, Dublin 1

7. Smaczne. Go! (restaurant/cafe), Moore Street Mall, 58/66 Parnell Street, North City, Dublin 1

8. D Candy (retailer), Main Street, Roscommon

9. Uptown Restaurant, Old Milk Market Lane, Killarney, Kerry

10. Payless Grocery & Meat, 46 Port Road, Letterkenny, Donegal

11. Bites By Kwanghi (restaurant/cafe), Capital Dock, 83 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2

12. Fresh (restaurant/cafe), Capital Dock, 4-5 Stephens Walk, Dublin 2

13. Musashi Noodles and Sushi (restaurant/cafe), 15 Capel Street, Dublin 1

14. All Bar Chicken (Closed area: the kitchen and storage areas) (restaurant/cafe), 47 Nassau Street, Dublin 2

15. Fortune Terrace (restaurant/cafe), 46-49 O’Connell Street Upper, Dublin 1

16. Chicking (restaurant/cafe), Unit 3, O’Boyce’s Corner, Port Road, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal

17. Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel (Closed areas: the operations from Albert & Behan Kitchen, PJ’s Kitchen and Mapas Kitchen – the serving of beverages from the bar area is not affected by this closure order), Killiney Hill Road, Killiney, Co. Dublin

18. Cafe Brazil (retailer), 63 Thomas Street, Dublin 8

19. The Ballsy Baker (Closed activity: preparation production and sale of food product with the claim ‘Nut Free’ and ‘Gluten Free’, and internet sites or social media sites it operates promoting and advertising the sale of food with these claims) (retailer), 10 St Mochtas Lawn, Clonsilla, Dublin 15

20. Oriental Pantry (retailer), 22-23 Moore Street, Dublin 1

21. Pastel King (restaurant/cafe), 22-23 Moore Street, Dublin 1

Tim O'Brien

Tim O'Brien

Tim O'Brien is an Irish Times journalist

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