1 week Ago By [email protected] (Millie Bowles)
A Michelin-star restaurant loved by celebrities has been hit with a poor hygiene rating after an inspector found mould in a walk-in fridge. The Sportsman in Seasalter, near Whitstable, has won numerous awards since being taken over by brothers Stephen and Phil Harris in 1999. But the Faversham Road site has now dropped from a five-star food hygiene score to just two following a recent visit by Canterbury City Council (CCC).
An environmental health inspector downgraded the popular gastropub after highlighting several issues in the kitchen. Site owner Shepherd Neame says staff “took immediate action” to address the problems and have applied for a rescore, with a reinspection set to take place in the coming weeks. The council inspector visited the restaurant in February, writing in their report that they found “dirt and mould on the ceiling in the walk-in refrigerator”.
They added: “Mould was also inside a door within an under-counter refrigerator. “I noted a member of staff eating in the kitchen, cloths over two chefs’ shoulders and one wearing several leather bracelets. “You must review your personal hygiene policy.
Ready to eat, pickled cucumber was stored in a heavily stained jug.” Structural issues with the building, which is almost 400 years old in some places, were also found during the visit on February 13. These included lino flooring worn or missing in some places, damage to skirting boards and a wall near the bar, and rubber coating on shelving in the fridges, which was rusting and coming away.
The report continued: “The lighting to the lobby, dry food storage area between the kitchen and bar is insufficient to effectively see to prepare food, clean, disinfect and check for signs of pests. “The kitchen step does not have a surface that can be easily cleaned and disinfected. “I found a gap to the left side of the cellar door, which could potentially allow pests to enter the premises.
” The inspector highlighted areas such as under and on the sides of fridges, the office door and table legs, which needed more thorough cleaning. Two dirty chopping boards were also being used, but the report said the pub has a “satisfactory food safety management system”. “However, staff were not carrying out all the identified controls at critical points,” the inspector wrote.
In particular, it was noted staff were not carrying out all the controls to protect food from contamination, the daily diary was not completed each day of February, and an allergen review was needed. And despite not seeing any pests at the site, the inspector advised bosses to employ a professional to carry out pest prevention as staff were putting down traps and poison themselves. A CCC spokesman says it has been working with the venue - where the tasting menu costs £85 per person - since handing out the rating.
“Our experienced environmental health officers are working closely with the management of The Sportsman following the issues raised during their inspection,” they said. “The business took the points our officer made very seriously and we are pleased to say good progress has been made in addressing the concerns. “The Sportsman has applied for a reinspection, and we expect it to improve its score significantly when we visit in the next few weeks.
" The pub has held a Michelin star since 2008, with Gary Lineker, Paul Hollywood and Amanda Holden among the celebrities to have dined there. It offers dishes including black truffle linguine and poached rock oysters, and was named restaurant of the year in 2024 by the Good Food Guide. In a statement, Shepherd Neame’s director of tenanted pub operations, Greg Wallis, said the Faversham brewery “works closely with our pub partners to offer support in all areas of their business”.
He said: “Following their recent inspection, the team at The Sportsman took immediate action to address all issues identified and have applied for a rescore, which we are confident will see the pub returned to a higher rating in the very near future.”.
