The kitchen of a Brightlingsea pub which closed suddenly was found to contain mouldy food unfit for human consumption, with staff and managers lacking “knowledge relating to basic food hygiene and safety”.

An inspection of The Cherry Tree by a Tendring District Council environmental health officer found traces of E. coli and listeria on a scourer, chopping boards and taps, with dog faeces on the carpet of a room next to the kitchen where open bags of fried chicken breaded coating were left on the floor.

While the inspection was in progress, two small dogs entered the kitchen, where a dog harness and a broom – which appeared to be thick with dog hair – were stored next to a fridge.  Ready-to-eat pulled pork – which had been “purchased at a significantly reduce price” – was found unrefrigerated and 20 days past use by date.

Tests by the UK Health Security Agency revealed high levels of bacteria, including Enterobacteriaceae.

“The presence of Enterobacteriaceae is an indicator of poor hygiene practices and the presence in ready-to-eat food can occur as a result of cross contamination from salad and vegetable products, or from ready to eat foods coming into contact with raw foods. Equally, the presence could be attributable to poor personal hygiene and the presence of domestic animals in the kitchen,” said the inspector.

Other issues included:

• Several bags of fries, one of which was open and may have been so for six days, were stored at room temperature in the kitchen instead of being frozen.
• Liquid from raw meat had spilt on to a shelf in a fridge used to store raw and ready-to-eat food.
• Multiple catering sized jars and bottles of sauces were open and stored at room temperature in the kitchen and storeroom.
• A four-pint plastic bottle of milk – said to be used for staff – was left on a kitchen worksurface and stoppered with a tissue.
• Blue cheese was around six weeks past its use-by date.
• Unwrapped cheeses were stored together without original packaging, which, said the inspector, could have resulted in food containing allergens being served to customers.
• Food debris – possibly spinach and red onion – was found on some cheese.
• Open and poorly-wrapped food, including pepperoni and veggie burgers, were found in a chest freezer.
• Vacuum packs of meat and joints of meat in a chest freezer that “lacked any form of labelling or indication of their origins” while records of food suppliers were incomplete.
• A bottle of bleach “may have been used to clean the ice buckets that were on the draining board”.
• The standard of cleaning in the kitchen was said to be “generally poor” and all surfaces and sinks required a thorough deep clean.
• A range cooker, hob, microwaves and griddle were not clean and flooring, shelving and worktops were damaged and could not be effectively cleaned or disinfected.
• Open takeaway containers were contaminated with food debris, hair and dust.

The inspector noted that the pub was also operating multiple unregistered “dark kitchens”, fulfilling orders for businesses including The Bull and Lobster Shack and London Meat House, both of which were listed on Uber Eats at the Church Road address.

Orders were also being supplied to premises in Trinity Street, Colchester – now believed to have closed – including Surf Burgers, The Jacket King, Richies, Pearly Pies of London and Rooster King.

Compiled after a visit on March 13, the report gave the pub a Food Hygiene Rating of zero and recommended immediate action to rectify a host of issues relating to manager and staff training, which was said to be inadequate and show an “evident lack of knowledge relating to basic food hygiene and safety”, food storage, good hygiene practice, cleaning procedures, as well as allergy and food intolerance training.

A further inspection was planned within four weeks, but removal vans were seen at the Church Road premises over the Easter weekend. The pub was subsequently boarded up and has be placed on the market by owner Admiral Taverns for £375,000.

“We felt in this instance that The Cherry Tree did not have a long-term sustainable future and therefore we have taken the decision to put the pub up for sale,” said a company spokesperson for the pub chain.