THE in-house restaurant at a popular Knutsford garden centre has taken action after receiving the lowest possible food hygiene rating, which indicated that ‘urgent improvement’ was needed.

The Rosary Restaurant at Fryer’s in Manchester Road was given a rating of zero by the Food Standards Agency following a visit on May 2, with the standard of cleanliness slammed as ‘completely unacceptable’.

A report by the inspector also criticised the kitchen’s protection against pests and contamination, as well as its ventilation, lighting, and food storage methods.

A follow up visit on July 4 showed signs of improvement.

The inspector said in May: “The standards of cleanliness in the restaurant are completely unacceptable.

“In the kitchen, wash-up, stores and yard areas, the structure was dirty and cluttered. This included the food preparation surfaces and inside the refrigerators.

“This situation cannot continue and the cleaning and staff training etc must be urgently reviewed in an effort to maintain cleaner standards and better food handling practices.”

Cobwebs were also visible in the kitchen, with hand contact points and equipment legs found to be dirty.

“Food in the kitchen fridges was out of date and undated,” the inspector said, referring to ratatouille that had expired on April 28 and tuna mayo from April 30, among other items. ‘High risk foods’ in the counter salad bars were also found to have been kept a double the maximum recommended temperature.

There were also concerns over the lack of food allergen information available – a legal requirement for more than two years.

While no pests were seen during the visit, the inspector noted that ‘rats have only recently been reported in the yard bin area’.

Recommendations included keeping food off the floor of the stores, screening or closing doors, and retraining staff in food-handling and hygiene.

A re-visit in July praised improved structure and cleanliness, while a new chef is also in place.

A spokesman for the restaurant said: "We would like to reassure all our customers that Fryer's Restaurant was reviewed by the EHO (environmental health officer) for Cheshire East Council on July 4, 2017 and has received a revised EHO rating of four stars, which will be updated on their website in the next few weeks.

"Here at the Rosary Restaurant at Fryer's Garden Centre we are totally committed to the highest of standards in both food quality and customer service.

"Fryer's is part of a group of 19 garden centres and every restaurant has a minimum EHO rating of four stars.

"In June we appointed a new front of house manager by the name of Paul Harris who was part of the management team at Grosvenor Garden Centre where we have a five-star rating.

"In the same month we appointed Louis Byrne as our new head chef. Louis used to work at Church Green and comes with an excellent reputation.

"Please feel free to contact Paul Harris on 01565 750752 if you have any questions or comments."

The Guardian cannot confirm the revised four-star rating, as the revised report has not yet been published.