A grocer’s shop in Aldershot has been given a slap on the wrists after failing a handful of food hygiene and safety standards.

Phewa Stores in Victoria Road was issued two cautions last Thursday (September 18) following an inspection by Rushmoor Borough Council earlier this month.

The first caution relates to seven separate food safety offences and the second to one health and safety failing.

Oasis Trading Impex Ltd, one of the owners of the company, has accepted the cautions and admitted the offences on behalf of Phewa.

Council inspectors have since revisited the premises and noted improvements in general standards of hygiene.

But an unannounced inspection on September 3 led to the store racking up a catalogue of offences, enough to earn Phewa the ignominious honour of a zero food hygiene rating in the Food Standards Agency’s national rating scheme.

Offences included a lack of effective cleaning and disinfection of equipment, particularly at the store’s butcher’s counter.

Food handlers were found to be not suitably trained in food hygiene matters and demonstrated their own poor personal hygiene.

The shop also failed to identify where some items of food had been sourced from and to implement various mandatory food safety management systems.

Inspectors also noted some food hygiene issues raised at previous inspections had reoccurred.