A popular Isle of Wight seafront cafe bar has received a one-star food hygiene rating, with concerns about the venue’s food safety practices and overall cleanliness.

The Met Wine Bar on Ventnor Esplanade received the shock hygiene rating following a visit by an inspector from the Environmental Health Service in June.

The inspection report, only released this week, highlighted several critical areas where The Met Wine Bar failed to meet food safety standards.

Among the most pressing issues identified was stock rotation and control, particularly regarding labelling and shelf-life management.

The report noted several instances of improperly labelled or unlabelled food items.

For example, a variety of opened products, including cream cheese, burger sauce, vegan mayonnaise and various cheeses, were found either unlabelled or past their recommended use-by dates.

Some items, such as the Knorr Thai red curry and Emmental cheese, had been kept beyond their safe consumption period and were voluntarily disposed of during the inspection.

Concerns were also raised about the management and communication of allergen information.

The inspector noted inconsistencies between the allergen information on the menu and the actual ingredients of the dishes.

A vegan treacle tart was listed as containing gluten and wheat, but the packaging indicated it also contained sulphites and might contain nuts, eggs and milk.

Similarly, a Caesar salad on the menu did not mention eggs, although the dressing contained them, and the sweet chilli dipping sauce did not state that it may contain sesame.

Such inconsistencies could pose a significant risk to customers with allergies, the report said.

The report further criticised the general cleanliness and condition of food contact equipment and storage facilities.

Inspectors found that plastic containers were dishwashed and stored upright, allowing water to pool and posing a risk of bacterial contamination.

The general cleanliness of the kitchen was noted as satisfactory, but some equipment was found to be subpar.

A whole bottle of J2O had been spilt into the base of the fridge, and the handles of both the upright freezers in the far kitchen room were visibly unclean and had a build-up of food debris from hand contact.

The white chopping boards were heavily stained and scored, making them difficult to clean effectively, while a can opener blade had visible food residue.

Additionally, the report pointed out maintenance issues, such as rust inside two microwave ovens, which also had a significant build-up of dirt, and a split seal on a fridge door, which could potentially contaminate food.

At the time of the inspection, there were a small number of flies in the production area.

The inspection found that cleaning agents were not being used properly, with the contact time for sanitisers not being observed and areas not being rinsed after sanitisation, as recommended, according to the manufacturer's instructions.

The inspector noted that the use of cleaning products was “reliant upon guesswork” and was "not guided by instructions."

Further criticism was directed at misleading menu descriptions.

The cafe bar was found to be inaccurately marketing certain dishes as fresh when, in fact, some of these items had been previously frozen.

The crab dish is described as fresh but is prepared with frozen crab during the out of season winter months, the inspector found.

The food safety inspector emphasised the need for The Met Wine Bar to undertake a comprehensive review of its food safety and hygiene practices.

There were no materials for the hygienic drying of hands at the wash hand basin in the kitchen, however, this was rectified during the visit.

A spokesperson from The Met Wine Bar said: “At The Met Wine Bar, we take the cleanliness and safety of our establishment very seriously. 

“As such, we are extremely disappointed to learn of the recent hygiene rating from the FSA, which does not reflect our commitment to high standards. Many factors contributed to this, some of which were avoidable, and some were not.

“We have taken immediate steps to address the issues raised and booked a reinspection. 

“We are confident that our efforts will be reflected in an improved rating, and we look forward to continuing to provide our guests with a safe and enjoyable experience!”