Food hygiene inspector finds cockroaches in Reading shop

Amazing Grace Superstore was ‘very dirty,’ stock was seen on the floor and there was no food safety management system, an inspector found on October 12, 2021.

The retailer in Oxford Road, which receives raw meat, frozen fish and vegetables from suppliers, was rated one out five by the Food Standards Agency (FSA), but its manager said much has improved since then.

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“They recommended that we do a couple of things which we have done and it’s looking much nicer than it used to be when they gave us that rating,” said the manager, who did not wish to be named.

Amazing Grace Superstore in Oxford Road, Reading

“There was a cockroach infestation on one of the fridges and the pest control person asked us to dispose of that, and we did,” he said, adding he threw out a second freezer.

He said that at the time of the inspection the freezers were attached to the walls so employees were unable to clean behind them, but since then they have bought two new freezers and changed their location.

The rat droppings have been cleared, according to the manager, who said he believed they had been there since the building changed owners in 2018.

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“They were not recent ones. They were very old ones and we probably inherited them.”

He added: “Things have improved.”

Business owners and managers can request an FSA re-visit to get a new rating when all the necessary hygiene improvements have been made.

The manager of Amazing Grace Superstore said they have not applied for re-evaluation due to the cost of doing so but will instead wait to be re-inspected.