Worst possible hygiene rating for Merseyside dessert shop where nobody washed their hands

The business was given a zero food hygiene rating following an inspection by Wirral Council food hygiene officers in June 2025. The report behind the rating has been released following a Freedom of Information request to the local authority.

The zero food hygiene rating was still in place as of December 22. However the Food Standards Agency website suggested another rating is due to be published soon.

The June 25 inspection noted there was no proper supply of hot water due to a faulty boiler. When asked when the business last had hot water, inspectors were told this was not known and no engineer had been called to sort it.

The business then voluntarily closed until the council was assured hot water was available. Two days later, the business was able to reopen after this was sorted.

However a number of other issues were found. In the kitchen and toilet sinks, no hand soap or hygienic hand drying facilities were found meaning “effective hand washing was not being undertaken by staff”.

The double sink in the kitchen was “obstructed by bags of food waste” while the fridge and freezers were “dirty at the time of the inspection and require a deep clean”. A chopping board and knife used to cut ready to eat food like strawberries was also dirty.

The report said the inside of blender jugs “were congealed with product” while the slush machine “was not clean, particularly the nozzles and vents”. Containers for dessert toppings were also dirty while the kunafa mixture “had a dirty spoon” that was “congealed with product” inside the container.

Inspectors also said the use of gloves at the premises was “unhygienic “and likely to give rise to the risk of cross contamination”, adding: “At the time of the inspection, staff were wearing gloves and upon observation, no attempts were made by any staff to wash their hands.

“Hand washing should never be compromised by the use of gloves. You must ensure that staff are adequately trained in effective handwashing technique. Staff must know when handwashing is essential and how to do it properly.”

At the back, the council said there was “an excessive accumulation” of rubbish including food waste, the rear door was left open potentially allowing pests into the premises, the toilet was dirty, and repairs were needed to the ceiling in one room following a leak upstairs.

Inspectors said a deep clean was needed in the kitchen, toilet, and rear storage room as the condition “was generally very poor”. No evidence of bins for the business were found.

Following the June 27 revisit, it was confirmed to the council had Fluff had “installed a single large electric hot water boiler which feeds all sinks adequately, cleaned the premises to a good standard including detailed cleaning of equipment as well as general structure, provided anti-bacterial hand soap and paper towels to both the kitchen and WC sinks, and started to clear the vegetation from the yard and were awaiting a collection for the old equipment and materials.”

Speaking to the LDRS, a representative for the business said they carried out “a complete renovation of the shop, installed a hot water meter, and maintained it very cleanly”.