Bakery with ‘mice infestation’ is given lowest possible rating

By Robert Firth, Local Democracy Reporter

A bakery has been blasted by an inspector after bags of raw meat were found stored next to bread.

El Marsem in Southwark was handed the worst possible score of 0 following a visit by council officials in December last year.

The bakery’s head chef didn’t have any food hygiene training, a letter sent to the business by Southwark council after the inspection shows.

Mice droppings were spotted on food containers, surfaces and the kitchen floor during the visit.

The bakery, in the Old Kent Road, was described as suffering from a “mice infestation” and posed a “serious risk to public health,” according to a council letter from January.

Bosses agreed to voluntarily close the store until improvements were made.

A Southwark council food hygiene report reads: “Containers of raw meat were stored next to a loosely covered container of salad and plastic containers of lemonade.

“In the servery cold unit, raw meat in shopping bags were stored next [to] open bags of bread.

“Mice droppings were seen on the kitchen floor, food contact surfaces and on containers containing food stuff.

“Mice droppings were also seen on food packaging material in the servery area and on the floor/wall junction of the hallway leading to the servery area.”

An inspector also found that staff working in the kitchen had no hand wash basin, while a sink at the serving counter lacked soap and anything to dry hands with.

El Marsem opened towards the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic in April 2020. Food Blog, Eater London praised the bakery for its “outstanding” selection of products in an article from June 2020.

Pictured top: El Marsem bakery in the Old Kent Road (Picture: Google Street View)