Shinwari Cuisine: Sheffield eatery told to make ‘major improvements’ to food hygiene weeks after opening

A Pakistani restaurant in Sheffield may have impressed customers - but it failed to dazzle environmental health officers.

Shinwari Cuisine, on Staniforth Road, Darnall, opened in November 2023. But an inspection just two months later on January 24 saw it handed a one-star food hygiene rating.

The Star can now reveal the findings at the time of inspection following a Freedom of Information inquest. A total of 29 concerns were raised, including issues relating to allergens, food preparation, and pest control.

When inspecting the chilled storage, many containers in the fridges were found ‘dirty with encrusted food debris’, and a container of lettuce in water was found stored on the floor of the walk-in fridge.

Raw meat was also found being stored above and close to ready-to-eat food such as carrot salad and cooked rice. The health officer warned: “This can lead to cross contamination. 

“Raw food must be covered and kept separate from other foods. Similarly in the freezers, raw uncovered fish was stored directly above ice cream and cookie dough.”

Get the latest headlines delivered straight to your inbox, with The Star’s free emails When reviewing the preparation of food, the inspector noted that they did not see any thorough handwashing by any of the food handlers during their visit. They added: “Provide an adequate supply of soap and clean towels to all the wash-hand basins in the kitchen. There was none available at the time of the inspection.”

A number of areas and items in the venue were found to be in a ‘very dirty condition’, and the inspector said they must be thoroughly cleaned. This included walls dirty with food debris and the internal surfaces of the chest freezers were mouldy.

Outside, the inspector saw two rats in the yard immediately outside of the preparation/store area. 

They said: “The back door leading to the yard was observed to be open during the inspection. You could allow easy access by pests to food preparation and storage areas of the business. Ensure staff receive training to make sure this rear door is kept closed to prevent pest access.”

Rats in the yard

The refuse storage area was found to be dirty and had numerous pieces of disused equipment. The bins also did not have lids that were kept closed. The business was ordered to thoroughly clean the area and to get close fitting lots to prevent access to rat activity, flies and to reduce unwanted smells.

Lastly, the inspector said that the business’s food safety management system required immediate improvement. All food businesses must develop documented food safety management procedures. A “very old” written system was found on site, but it had not been used. 

Please note at the time of writing (April 24), the business continued to hold a one-star hygiene rating as per Food Standards Agency.