You may not know about them but they exist. I saw a job advert yesterday for Deliveroo "Editions" which is their dark kitchen enterprise.
These started before Covid but the latter caused a huge increase in them. Essentially they are kitchens without the front of house. Ostensibly they are the same as any restaurant kitchen but... I have my concerns.
- In the UK anyway, they are subject to the same inspections by EHOs etc as any other food premises. BUT we all know EHO visits are the easiest to pass and are incredibly infrequent.
- Secondly with no customers, it cannot be underestimated how much customers will occasionally flag to an EHO that there is an issue in, say, a takeaway. For example poor temperature control or pest activity. (Ok, I admit it, I have been that customer.)
- By nature, these places are small. They employ transient staff and probably only have one supervisor in each unit. With little supervision, a lot of trust is being put into the hands of someone who could not only be compromising food safety but health and safety, environment and ethics. Even if there is someone senior overseeing, say, 10 units, having those as 10 production lines in one room is just going to be easier to oversee.
- But what worries me more than those three is these are now broaching into food production. On here and elsewhere I'm hearing rumours of them being used for ready meals, sandwiches etc. Ready to eat or reheat food which will not be eaten immediately on delivery. Food where the growth or survival of Listeria is a possibility but no segregation, no high care, no high risk. In the 90s, the food industry in the UK drastically upped its game on fabrication, flow and design of food manufacturing. It alarms me that we seem to be taking a step back without any discussion.
Thoughts? Experience? Am I overreacting?