Popular Derbyshire BBQ smokehouse has one-star food hygiene rating quashed after improvements

A barbeque smokehouse in the heart of a budding Derbyshire town has had its one-star food hygiene rating upgraded to four stars following a recent inspection. Buddy's Smokehouse and Barbeque Joint in Dale Road, Matlock, was visited by health inspectors back in May, who found numerous issues with the restaurant's food hygiene, citing a lack of sanitary facilities and issues of "poor cleanliness" as major factors.

The report was revealed by Derbyshire Dales District Council and is broken down into a number of categories including compliance with food hygiene and safety procedures, compliance with structural requirements, food management system, allergens, acrylamide management and training. The report reads: "Once again, when we initially arrived at the site numerous tubs containing high-risk and ready-to-eat food were being stored out of the fridge (at room temperature) on the worktop of the service fridge.

"Staff claimed that the food had only been taken out of the fridge just shortly prior to our visit which I accept, however, I would take this opportunity to remind you that all high-risk food should be stored under chilled temperature control ideally at or below 5C before it is served - again I would reiterate the point that a salad counter/service fridge could be used for this purpose." It also said that no soap for handwashing was present in the hand basin behind the servery upon arrival, as well as no towel dispenser being present in the same area.

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There was a stack of cleaned and freshly laundered fabric tea towels and cleaning cloths stored in an open crate-style plastic tray. The tray was dirty with the build-up of food debris and particles inside it and around the openings to the sides of the container, thereby presenting potential contamination risks to the otherwise clean cloths.

The report also found that there were issues of poor cleanliness noted throughout the premises, adding that attention must be given to all areas of the business, including floors, walls, ceilings and all equipment. The report continued: "The internal surface (notably the ceiling) of the Sharp microwave was dirty, and food debris and particles were noted underneath the appliance too.

"The cooking appliances needed thorough cleaning and disinfecting and once again, the standard of cleaning requires to be significantly improved e.g. there were areas of mould growth on the inner components of the ice machine and the door seal to the appliance was dirty. Thoroughly clean and redecorate the appliance and maintain in a clean condition.

"There were also areas of damp and extensive areas of loose and flaking paint on the ceiling which creates a risk of the shedding of particles into food/food equipment and prevents effective cleaning of the ceiling surfaces." Another key issue highlighted in the report was the lack of acrylamide management.

Acrylamide is a chemical substance formed when starchy foods, such as potatoes and bread, are cooked at high temperatures (above 120°C). It can be formed when foods are baked, fried, grilled, toasted and roasted.

The report found that staff were "not aware" of the hazards of acrylamides, nor how to prevent the formation of it in food. Legislation is in place to reduce acrylamide levels in food, as it has the potential to cause cancer in humans.

In terms of staff training, the report said: "There were no in-house training certificates for kitchen staff on-site although food safety knowledge was generally good (with exception to the fact they had no understanding on the management of acrylamides as mentioned above, despite this element being signed-off in the training section of your Safer Food, Better Business (SFBB) pack in May 2023)." It urgently advised the restaurant to review the training needs of all current staff with respect to food hygiene and record the details of the training in the relevant SFBB pack.

The restaurant was revisited by inspectors three months later, on Wednesday, August 14. The reinspection found significant improvements to the restaurant's hygiene and cleanliness, and a four-star rating was rewarded.

A statement from the Derbyshire Dales District Council report reads: "I note that you provide separate areas on a permanent basis for preparing raw foods and ready-to-eat (RTE) foods – this is considered best practice as the same working areas should not be used for both ready to eat food activities and raw food, even if this was only on a temporary basis (i.e. separation by time). The structural standard in the catering prep room and wash-up room is much better now following the improvements that have been carried out. Other areas of the premise’s structure/facilities/equipment were in a generally satisfactory state of repair and cleanliness.

"The taps to the wash hand basin in the front of house servery are hand operable and your staff have a generally good understanding of the hazards associated with your business and food hygiene training records/certificates that were examined were up to date." Following the recent report, Buddy's was given a 'Good' hygiene rating, achieving four out of five stars.

The restaurant was opened in 2022 and was fronted by Masterchef: The Professionals semi-finalist and pitmaster, Luke Rhodes, who brought a range of tasty American meals to the town - which is just a stone's throw from the Peak District. Buddy's prides itself on serving an eclectic mix of barbeque treasures, including brisket, cornbread, ribs and burnt ends.

Luke left the restaurant in 2023 and moved to Rafters in Sheffield, widely known as one of South Yorkshire's best restaurants.

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