A Michelin chef’s former restaurant has had a problem with cockroaches, a food hygiene inspection has revealed.
The ABode Canterbury hotel used to be run by celebrity chef Michael Caines, who was trained under cooking greats like Raymond Blanc and Bernard Loiseua.
But since the former-Chef of the Year stepped away ten years ago the four-star venue is now in need of a deep clean ‘from top to bottom’.
The pests were found in several traps laid out in the basement and another was discovered floating in a pool of water in the kitchen.
The critters had been ‘active in the premises for at least a year’, hotel logs revealed.
Cockroaches can spread dangerous diseases like E. Coli, Salmonella and dysentery as well parasitic worms.
Rooms at the hotel cost up to nearly £500-a-night and is respected for its high-end food and chic interiors.
The luxury chain however scored two out of five in their hygiene rating after an assessment of the kitchen and food storage areas in March.
Bosses are said to have already made changes and are waiting for a formal inspection in the coming weeks, it was reported by KentOnline.
‘I note you have a treatment plan in place. However, cleaning requires your attention, and after several deep cleans and a complaint highlighting concerns about cleaning, I was still able to see numerous areas of improvement required to cleaning within the kitchen,’ the report said.
Better cleaning was required in the inspected areas, under food prep tables and appliances – like the fridge, sandwich press, coffee machine and kitchen knives.
Disused equipment will also need to be replaced or repaired to minimise the spread of contamination.
‘Carry out a deep clean from top to bottom, and continue to work with your pest control operator,’ the report added.
‘Ensure you deep clean and maintain all areas within your premises where food is stored and handled immediately.’
The report noticed several other food safety slip-ups, like the ‘the chef wearing his cloth over his shoulder several times’ which can risk contamination and incorrectly stored food.
ABode said: ‘Having held a five-star food hygiene rating for many years, the rating at ABode Canterbury has been lowered to two stars during a recent inspection, indicating some improvements were required.
‘These improvements have already been put in place and an interim informal visit has indicated that the local authority is satisfied with standards throughout the hotel.
‘A formal inspection is due within the coming weeks and the hotel is looking forward to this, in order to reinstate its rating.’
Mr Caines, who lost his right arm in a car accident in 1994, currently runs the Lympstone Manor hotel near Exeter and Exmouth which has one Michelin star.
He had previously been a partner in the Royal Clarence Hotel, Exeter – which boasted its own vineyard that produced a house champgne-method sparkling wine – before the luxury boutique hotel was shut down in 2016 after a devastating fire.
It was this business partnership with Andrew Brownswrd that went on to the pair setting up the ABode Hotels, with five locations across the UK.
In 2015, Mr Caines decided to step away to pursue other business interests.