Didcot kitchen handed back-to-back terrible hygiene scores

Babicka (Grandma’s Pantry) had been given a one-out-of-five food hygiene score in 2023 which led to owner Jana Kiselovicova being served with a hygiene improvement notice.

When the case was taken to Oxford Magistrate’s Court in June 2023, it was found that the owner failed to ensure there was no cross-contamination between different allergens.

She reused gloves, foods and sauces were left uncovered while “dirty” cloths were located around the premises.

The teddy bear in Jana Kiselovicova's food preparation area in Didcot Picture: VOWHDC (Image: VOWHDC)

There was also a plush soft toy monkey teddy in the kitchen and a wallpaper steamer to prove dough while food was stored in a yard outside.

Kiselovicova was fined £5,600 and ordered to pay a further £5,190 in costs and surcharge.

Vale of White Horse District Council’s Environmental Health team returned to the premises on Thursday, February 29 for their latest inspection.

Inspectors were left unimpressed once again with what they found and awarded the kitchen a shocking one-out-of-five hygiene rating.

Babicka (Grandma’s Pantry) was informed that ‘major improvement’ was required following the snap inspection.

The food preparation area at Jana Kiselovicova's premises Picture: VOWHDC (Image: VOWHDC)

The report stated that improvement was ‘necessary’ regarding the hygienic handling of food at the premises.

This includes the preparation, cooking, re-heating, cooling and storage of the food which is served from the kitchen.

Management of food safety was another issue for the business with inspectors stating that ‘major improvement’ was necessary.

This refers to having a system or checks in place to ensure that the food sold or served is safe to eat and if there is evidence that staff know about food safety.

It also covers whether or not the food safety officer has confidence that standards will be maintained in future.

The cleanliness and condition of both the facilities and the building were also slammed by the Environmental Health team with improvement once again ‘necessary’.

Some food items were stored outside, while other packets were open at Jana Kiselovicova's business Picture: VOWHDC (Image: VOWHDC)

This regards having an appropriate layout, ventilation, hand washing facilities and pest control to enable good food hygiene.

In the court case last summer it was heard that Kiselovicova made ‘some efforts’ to make improvements at the Didcot business.

But even her own barrister accepted that one such attempt – installing a wash basin in a toilet that opened directly onto the serving area – was ‘clumsy’.

In her interview with officers, the defendant was said to have given ‘no real explanation’ for her failure to take ‘adequate steps to improve the food safety and hygiene raised or why she hadn’t complied with the improvement notices’.

The Oxford Mail has contacted Babicka (Grandma’s Party) for an updated comment.