Photos have shown the grease and grime inside a restaurant which was given a 0 food hygiene rating.
The inspector said the standing of cleaning at a Chinese restaurant in Banstead "can only be described as appalling".
Royal China, at 129 High Street, Banstead, was inspected for food hygiene on December 4, 2021.
The inspector found that the standard of cleaning to the structure and equipment was "very poor".
It received the lowest score out of a possible five, and SurreyLive has obtained a copy of the report from Reigate and Banstead Borough Council.
There were "deposits of grease, grime, and food debris [that] were evident everywhere" according to the environmental health officer, who added: "The overall conditions seen can only be described as appalling and presents a serious risk of contamination to food."
The inspector also suggested that "it is apparent that an acceptable standard of cleaning has not taken place for some considerable time.
"There are simply too many examples to detail individually".
A "heavily soiled toilet brush" was also found by the hygiene inspector.
Some of the other most damning food hygiene findings include:
- Staff need a refresher training to at least level two food hygiene. No labels were attached to pre-prepared items and raw products, so there was no way to tell what the product was, when it was prepared or its use-by date.
- There was widespread clutter and disused equipment and general housekeeping in the kitchen was poor. The officer said this not only prevents effective cleaning, but encourages pests.
A soiled toilet brush was found (Reigate and Banstead Council)
- Contact equipment was in a filthy condition. Kitchen and storerooms need to be redecorated and deep cleaned.
- Grease was found running down the light fittings and out of the cracks in the kitchen and ventilation canopy. A layer of grease was also on all of the surfaces. The inspector noted that an accumulation of grease presented a fire risk.
Kitchen and storerooms need to be redecorated (Reigate and Banstead Council)
- The restaurant was asked in its previous Inspection Report on July 24, 2019 to reinstate a lobby between the staff toilet, kitchen and food storage areas in three weeks' time. However, this had not been done, the food hygiene officer found. This means the staff toilet opens into the food storage and kitchen area.
- The inspector suggested that the toilet door needs to be reconfigured so it can be closed firmly. Staff can't use the toilet without the door being open. A filthy wash-up sink was also found.
SurreyLive tried to phone the restaurant multiple times for comment but received no response.
