A McColl’s store was closed after an inspector found food kept in an overstuffed cupboard and staff were warm dogs despite the lack of a sink.
The Wales branch was deemed ‘non-compliance’ with food hygiene laws due to a range of issues, including ‘dried milk and dirt’ on a fridge.
According to the Food Standards Agency (FSA) rating system, the store, which trades as a Morrisons Daily due to a partnership between the two chains, was awarded one star out of a maximum of five.
McColl’s was told it needed to address ‘violations’, including staff not being aware of the effective use of disinfectant and food storage at its store in Bontnewydd, Gwynedd.
The front of a refrigerator turned out to be ‘covered with dried milk and grime’ and there was no sink in a counter where staff handled the hot dogs.
The inspector noted: ‘Packages of food were on the floor in the storage room above. It is not appropriate to store food directly on the floor where it may be exposed to contamination and dirt.’
The area was described as ‘messy and disorganized’, with ‘old equipment, trash and paperwork’ stored alongside surplus food supplies.
During the inspection on May 27, 2022, some foods that had passed their best before date were found, in addition to others that were still within their best before date.
Spray oil bottles were discovered in a cupboard under a sink that had been stored alongside cleaning products, “leading to possible contamination of the food,” a report said.
The inspector noted: ‘Overflow stock appeared to have been thrown in the attic storage room without due care to guarantee the quality of the food.
“Food was kept on the floor, in open boxes and on racks and there appeared to be no system of separation to ensure these foods were kept apart. For efficient stock rotation, you have to check goods regularly.’
According to the letter to Martin McColl Ltd, which was released by Gwynedd Council at the request of Metro.co.uk under the Freedom of Information Act.
The inspector wrote: ‘Equipment must be cleaned immediately.’
In a counter, the public protection officer of the Gwynedd Council found staff handling hot dogs without a sink.
The report states: ‘You should either stop selling open food or provide a sink. I notice that the area manager said he would stop selling the hot dogs as soon as he was pointed out.”
The lack of a basin had been raised at McColl’s during an earlier inspection on Nov. 27, 2017, according to the letter.
The inspector concludes that this is ‘a poor reflection of the board’ and that there was ‘some major non-compliance with legal obligations’.
The one-star rating, which went live on the FSA’s website on July 28, 2022, means “major improvement needed.”
A McColl’s spokesperson said: ‘We are aware that a Morrisons Daily store on Caernarfon Road, Bontnewydd in Caernarfon recently received a lower than expected hygiene rating on the most recent inspection.
“This was well below the standards we hold to and we worked to resolve any issues identified to us.
“The health, safety and well-being of our colleagues and customers will always remain our absolute priority.
“Since then, we’ve taken immediate action to put in place robust procedures to ensure the next inspection meets the high standards we set ourselves.”
Morrisons acquired all 1,160 McColl stores in May after the supermarket chain came under management. The buyer had an existing partnership agreement with the smaller retailer.
At the time of the acquisition, approximately 270 McColl’s stores were already operating as Morrisons Daily stores.
It is understood that McColl’s will retain managerial and operational control for a “separate” period while the Competition and Markets Authority investigates the merger.
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