NEW ZEALAND: Closed restaurant required to display low inspection grade for two months
Currently living in New Zealand, and having the opportunity to travel around it, I’ve seen my fair share of restaurant inspection grades. Like many other developed countries, letter grades displayed at a food business are popular here, and are meant to relay food safety information to consumers.
In the Auckland region, where many districts have a grading system operating, some districts require a food business to display a low grade for a period of time after they’ve been closed due to risk to public health.
The owner of a west Auckland restaurant forced to close in May because of an infestation of mice has been found guilty and fined.
Waitakere City Council staff carried out a routine inspection of Hobsonville’s Sanjang restaurant earlier this year and were shocked to discover a serious rodent problem among dirty, unhygienic conditions.
Council contract solicitor David Collins, said,
"The officer determined there was a risk of food contamination and required the premises to close.”
"The owner contracted a registered pest control firm who treated the property the same day… The premises were allowed to reopen with an E grading the following day after re-inspection."
Council environmental compliance spokesman Alan Ahmu says the restaurant was only allowed to reopen after it was thoroughly cleaned and had to display an E grade for the next two months.
Mr Ahmu says Sanjang has just passed a reinspection and is now B grade.
I’m still waiting to meet Bret, Jemaine or Rhys from the popular New Zealand show Flight of the Conchords, pictured right.
Only A grades on Shortland Street
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While living in Doug and Amy’s basement I watched a lot of bad TV – we all did. Since moving to New Zealand little has changed. Instead of the Real Housewives of New York or DOOL, I now watch Shortland Street every night at 7pm.
Last night while two of the characters were scandalously dining I recognized a restaurant grading card in the background, an A grade. The program is filmed and set in Auckland, New Zealand.
The picture is a little shotty, but so is the acting.
Murder Burger's staff wear Meat is Murder T-shirts - and only serve meat
Murder Burger, a New Zealand gourmet burger store that opened in the swish Auckland suburb of Ponsonby last year, used the following for an on-line Help wanted ad:
"We need a bunch of people to hang out with, make burgers and talk shit.”
The ad specifically requested student nurses and teachers to apply, explaining, "I've gone out with two nurses and two teachers and they were all awesome."
Not wanted were politics students ("Nothing personal, we just don't understand you") or methamphetamine addicts.
"Again nothing personal. It's just that the benefit of you being able to work seven shifts in a row is pretty much outweighed by the probability that you will one day flip, grab a knife and become Mr Stabby."
I’m all for it, as long as the burgers are verified 160F with a tip-sensitive thermometer.
