Design flaws

It is quite possible to design hygiene into a kitchen - but that doesn't stop some problems from being repeated. According to pub kitchen specialist Carford Design manager Paul Haynes, the devil is in the detail. "A lot of the design process is common sense" he says, "but there are a number of less obvious mistakes that we see time and time again."

He says there are some golden rules to follow:

• Make sure that your dishwashing area is sited as near as possible to the entrance/exit of the kitchen and well away from any food preparation area as this will help to reduce the risk of cross contamination.

• Make sure there is a handwash basin (preferably with knee operated taps) sited at the entrance to the kitchen as this will encourage staff to wash their hands thoroughly

• On the preparation side, it is always best to have separate areas dedicated to fish, meat, salad and vegetables to prevent cross contamination, as well as adequate sinks

• Non-porous worktops, seamless wall finishes, and units that fit flush to the wall without any dirt traps are also advisable

One common but less obvious mistake is the positioning of wall-mounted fly killers over food prep tables - when a fly is 'zapped' bits of it often fall to earth with potentially dangerous implications for the area below.

On a more obvious note make sure that there are plenty of bins and adequate facilities for refuse disposal and that these are emptied regularly.

Grease is the word...​Cynics might suggest the flow of indigestible waste material from our elected representatives at Westminster is already sufficient, but MPs are taking an even greater interest in the subject.

In December last year, Dartford MP Dr Howard Stoate called on the government to stop the tide of warm fat that clogs the sewer system by insisting that all restaurants and takeaways install properly-maintained grease interceptors.

The government has pledged to look at the issue, and it seems likely that restrictions on disposal of kitchen grease will follow as part of a wider raft of environmental laws being considered.

In the London region alone, Thames Water estimates that more than 1,000 tonnes of liquid fat are poured into sewers every year, much of it from commercial outlets serving hot food. Below ground it cools, hardens and causes blockages that can lead to sewage flooding into homes, gardens and watercourses. Even without currently being illegal, the effects of a blockage are costly for pubs to remedy.

Watling Hope is one of the UK's leading independent waste water and environmental engineering specialists, working with companies including Mitchells & Butlers, Orchid Pub Group and McDonalds. It has installed grease removal systems in restaurants, pubs and bars throughout the UK, using its Grease Goblin biological drain treatment system to break down fat, oil and grease in pipework, drain-lines and grease traps.

Watling Hope director Edward Palin warns that grease, oil and fat are not just problems for outlets producing grilled or fried food. He says: "Fat and oil in kitchen drainage is derived from meat, fish and dairy preparation and, increasingly, the use of combination steaming ovens."