Chicken Cottage

While we fully respect the role of Westminster City Council in maintaining public health standards and acknowledge some of the physical/structural improvements highlighted in the report, we respectfully dispute the score awarded (Rating 1) and request a review based on the specific mitigating context surrounding the time of inspection.   Context & Mitigating Circumstances at the Time of Inspection 1. Morning Opening & Setup Period: The officer visited during the early morning opening shift. At that specific moment, only one staff member was present on site and was actively in the process of executing opening procedures, setting up workstations, and performing initial checks. 2. Hand Wash Sink Obstruction (Schedule A, Point 5): The sink was temporarily holding items while the lone staff member was rearranging the counter and prep area as part of the morning setup. This was not an ongoing practice or routine operation, as opening procedures were actively underway to clear and sanitize all stations before commencing food service.   3. Advance Record Filling / Falsification Claim (Schedule A, Point 15): The staff member had prematurely filled out the opening checklist in anticipation of completing the daily tasks during their opening routine. We recognize this was a operational mistake by the staff member, but it was driven by morning setup pressure rather than an intentional attempt to falsify records. Corrective staff retraining on real-time logging was implemented immediately following the inspection.   4. Food Packaging & Storage Issues (Schedule A, Points 1, 3, 4): The items noted (such as drinks in proximity to raw chicken and open items) were being moved/organized during stock intake and morning preparation.   Immediate Corrective Actions Taken Since Inspection We have taken swift and comprehensive action to rectify all issues raised in the report:  Pest Control & Structure (Schedule A, Points 6, 7, 8, 9): We have coordinated directly with our pest control contractor and commenced repairs on floor/wall tiles and basement ducting/surfaces.    Hygiene & Cross-Contamination (Schedule A, Points 2, 3, 5, 10, 11, 12): All temporary cardboard coverings have been permanently removed. Storage in the walk-in fridge has been strictly reorganized (raw items strictly segregated at the bottom). All touchpoints, freezer seals, and utensils have been deep-cleaned and sanitized.    Management & SFBB Documentation (Schedule A, Points 13, 14, 15, 16): Fully updated (SFBB) documentation and daily logbooks are now active on-site. Waste oil collection receipts have been organized for submission, and staff have undergone strict retraining on real-time temperature/checklist logging.     Given that the conditions observed were heavily influenced by the timing of the visit (during single-handed opening setup) rather than representative of our standard daily operations, we kindly request to review the awarded score under the Appeal procedure.