The Vine, Linthorpe: Full hygiene report reveals shocking findings

During a visit to Vine on Roman Road, in Linthorpe, near Middlesbrough, council officers found cheese that was a fortnight out of date and bechamel sauce that was two days out of date. While oyster shells, due to be served to customers, were kept on trays previously used for chicken.

The restaurant received a one-star food hygiene rating on July 14. A spokesperson for Vine said the result of the inspection was devastating and all of the issues raised had been dealt with immediately.

Conditions were so bad that inspectors even considered prosecuting, however, they decided that a warning would suffice on this occasion. The report adds: “Should serious contraventions of food law be found on any future occasion this authority may have no alternative but to take formal action.”

The restaurant, which is in a former abattoir, has welcomed customers since 2017 and considers its food to be a “globally inspired menu of popular classics presented with a tantalising twist.” At the upmarket eatery, where main meals can cost more than £20, raw beef was stored close to and above ready-to-eat foods, posing a risk of cross-contamination.

While dates were used on some foods, it was not consistent and one worker was unable to say when some high-risk foods were prepared. There were also a number of foods that had been decanted into plastic containers that were unlabelled or not labelled with the correct product.

Dirty cloths and towels were being used and certain floors, surfaces and equipment were also in need of a good wash. The nutri blender, the inner and outer surfaces of plastic containers and inside the fridges also needed to be cleaned.

Inspectors even noted that some of the bad practice found was also flagged in December 2019. The report adds: “It was clear that there had been an overall failure by the management of the premises to identify and control potential risks to food safety.”

There was also a risk to people with allergies as there was no ingredient information on some dry ingredients that had been put into a container. One of the workers couldn’t even identify what certain unlabelled food in the freezer was.

A spokesperson for Vine said: “This is not the usual standard for us which is devastating. We have worked closely with the local authority and all issues that were raised have been dealt with immediately.

“Full staff and management retraining has been given and we are awaiting a retest. We want to reassure all our customers that we are fully up to date with food hygiene standards and are confident that the retest will reflect this.”