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Open boxes of cooked chicken were left next to raw poultry in the shop

PICTURED: Open boxes of cooked chicken were left next to raw poultry in the shop

EXCLUSIVE BY:

Matthew Dresch

Dirty conditions at Lewisham chicken shop exposed in new pictures

THESE pictures show the dirty conditions inside a Lewisham chicken shop blasted by a food hygiene inspector.

The images, which were taken by an inspector during a visit to Hi Five Chicken and Gourmet Burger, in Lee High Road, show a dirty chopping board, open containers of raw and cooked chicken and dirty surfaces and equipment.

It comes after we revealed how the chicken shop was handed a 0 food hygiene rating by the council, although this was later upgraded to a 1 after the business appealed.

The inspector warned there was “clear cross-contamination” between raw poultry and other food in the shop in their food hygiene report. 

Hi Five chicken shop in Lee High Road
PICTURED: Hi Five chicken shop in Lee High Road has temporarily closed

The shop has shut since the damning findings, with a sign on the shutters announcing a temporary closure.

The sign says: “We are temporarily closed. We’re making improvement (sic) to bring you better quality, better hygiene, and better service. We’ll be reopening very soon.”

The images taken during the council’s hygiene inspection show piles of cooked chicken were left in open cardboard boxes in the shop. 

In one picture, a cardboard box filled with cooked chicken can be seen sitting right next to an open container of raw chicken. 

Raw chicken stored in an open crate next to the sink
PICTURED: Raw chicken stored in an open crate next to the sink

The council’s food hygiene report warned: “Ensure that all food is covered in storage, placed in clear containers that are free from contaminates and soiling including substances such as mould.” 

The report raised concerns about cross-contamination between raw and cooked food.

It said: “Observed (staff) moving between washing sinks, handling raw chicken and then ready to eat foods/packaging before moving back to washing raw poultry boards… observed clear cross-contamination of raw and ready to eat.”

One image taken during the inspection shows a worker washing a red chopping board covered with an unknown black stain in a sink. 

This image shows raw chicken was kept in an open container next to cooked chicken
PICTURED: This image shows raw chicken was kept in an open container next to cooked chicken

Another picture shows an open crate filled with raw chicken sitting next to the sink, which features a sign above it saying “this sink for food equipment only”. In the snap, the inspector can be seen holding a Testo food thermometer which shows a reading of 16.8C. 

The inspector also took snaps of a dirty oven, a cluttered sink, a hole in the ceiling and even a half-eaten chicken drumstick which had been discarded next to a couple of plant pots in the shop. 

Hi Five chicken shop previously told Lewisham Letter that the council’s food hygiene findings were “false”. 

The inspector photographed an unknown black stain on the back of a chopping board
PICTURED: The inspector photographed an unknown black stain on the back of a chopping board

Manager Mustafa Ali Sayed previously said: “The cross-contamination point is just wrong.

“There was no-one in the back working at the time, I just had the guy at the front serving the customers. 

“I need to see proof. I requested the pictures taken during the inspection but they won’t send them to me.” 

The council’s hygiene report also said there were no available food safety management records in the shop at the time of the visit.

A sign above the raw chicken reads "This sink for food equipment only"
PICTURED: A sign above the raw chicken reads “This sink for food equipment only”

Explaining this, Mustafa said: “Just before the inspector came to the shop one of my staff had cut his finger while cleaning the chicken so I took him to Lewisham Hospital.

“The food officer came in and they were told the manager is not in, he’s gone to hospital with the guy in the back – but he didn’t think about that and continued his inspection.

“The guy in the front didn’t know where the records were. So the FSA gave us a 0 rating. That’s not acceptable. 

“I came back and found out about this and rushed to the FSA office the next morning with all the records.

A hole in the ceiling at the chicken shop
PICTURED: A hole in the ceiling at the chicken shop

“I appealed the result and in response they gave me a one star rating. 

“It’s still not great, I can’t take online orders now from Uber Eats, Just Eat and Deliveroo as the minimum requirement is a three star FSA rating. If you have below three they suspend you on online platforms.

“My profits have dropped since this. I have requested a new inspection.”

Hi Five is now awaiting another inspection, according to the Food Standards Agency website.

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