From the https://www.kentlive.news By Adele Couchman, 3 May 2018.

A popular pub in Saltwood has been slapped with a one star food hygiene rating.

Inspectors found The Castle Hotel to be storing out of date food.

The manager of a popular pub in Saltwood has criticised its "awfully unfair" one star food hygiene rating.

The Castle Hotel, near Hythe, has been told to make "major improvements" after its most recent inspection by the Food Standards Agency on March 22.

Despite a four star rating on TripAdvisor, inspectors found the family-run hotel and bar to be storing food past its sell-by date.

There was also issues around cleanliness and hygiene, as well as keeping food prepared on site "for longer than standard guidance".

'Out of date sandwich'

Emma Greenwood, the manager of the hotel, has hit back at the rating.

She told Kent Live: “Our food is very good and very fresh. Everything is as it should be.

“One item of food was out of date in the fridge and it was a member of staff’s sandwich they had left behind.

“The seals of the fridge also needed to be cleaned, but it was fixed in minutes.”

She said inspectors had also picked up on a door that needed re-painting, as well as paperwork that wasn't up to date.

Ms Greenwood added: “Its awfully unfair. We painted the door they picked up on, and thrown the fridge away.

"It didn’t actually store food, it was only beer bottles.”

Concerns

A spokesman for Folkestone & Hythe District Council said: “The Castle Hotel was inspected on March 22 this year, which resulted in a one-star rating being given.

"The inspectors had concerns after finding food past its sell-by date, and that food prepared on-site was kept for longer than standard guidance, without proof that this was safe.

"There were also issues around cleanliness.

"The owners have asked us to revisit the hotel to review the rating and have advised us that improvements have been made.

"This visit has not yet taken place.”

Ms Greenwood disputed the council's assertion that inspectors are yet to make another visit.

She said: "A lot of this was because the paperwork wasn’t up to date.

“The inspectors came in last week and said we would be re-rated with a substantially higher score.

”They just come in and look for things to make their jobs worthwhile.”

Ratings range from zero, meaning urgent improvement is required, to five, meaning standards are very good.

A one star means major improvements are necessary.