Preston burger takeaway bags full marks in food hygiene reinspection after voluntary closure

A Preston burger takeaway that was given the choice to either voluntary close and improve or be slapped with enforcement action after a food hygiene inspection has improved dramatically.

That is the verdict of a reinspection of Burgr, on Deepdale Mill Street, by Preston City Council’s food safety officer which saw the eatery awarded a five out of five rating.

As previously reported by Blog Preston, Burgr was given the lowest rating possible – a zero – after being inspected earlier this year and was at the time the only dedicated eatery in the city to carry the rating.

The extent of the issues meant that the business voluntarily closed to implement improvements. Blog Preston understands that if the business had not done so, Preston City Council would have used emergency prohibition powers to close it.

A reinspection was requested after improvements were made and this had to take place within three months of the initial inspection. The food safety officer did however ensure that standards had improved to at least a minimum legal standard before the business could continue to trade after the initial inspection.

The reinspection found that hygienic food handling, cleanliness and condition of the facilities and building and the management of food safety were now at a ‘good standard’. Pest control has also been implemented after previous concerns regarding an infestation problem.

A report concluded: “The food safety officer has confidence that standards will be maintained in future.”

A spokesperson for Preston City Council told Blog Preston: “We are pleased that owners and management at Burgr took on board the findings in our hygiene inspection report and have worked hard over the past few weeks to rectify and implement our recommendations for improvements.

“Closing a premises isn’t a decision that is taken lightly, and we do prefer to work with business owners in making hygiene and food safety their top priority for customers.”

Subscribe: Keep in touch directly with the latest headlines from Blog Preston, join our WhatsApp channel and subscribe for our twice-a-week email newsletter. Both free and direct to your phone and inbox.