York restaurant told "major improvement" needed in food safety

The Olive Tree on Tower Street, York, was handed a damning report following an inspection by the City of York Council’s Food Standards Agency Team in February.

The restaurant markets itself as serving Mediterranean food and giving “an experience you won’t forget”.

A food safety officer, however, wrote that “major improvement [is] necessary” in terms of the management of food safety.

The report reads that the food safety officer should have confidence that standards in ensuring that food sold or served is safe to eat and that evidence that staff know about food safety will be maintained in future.

A spokesperson for the restaurant said: "Regrettably, our annual Food & Hygiene inspection, expected to occur in December 2023, took place amidst significant refurbishment and renovation work across the entire premises.

"At the time of inspection, which occurred during ongoing plastering work in the kitchen and bathrooms, the environment was understandably chaotic.

"Compounding the situation, the inspector arrived at 2pm when none of the permanent staff were present to provide context or explanation for the ongoing works.

"Had they been available, we could have arranged a more suitable time for the inspection post-completion of the renovations.

"Despite these challenges, we appreciate the constructive feedback provided by the inspector.

"The identified areas for improvement were already part of our refurbishment plans for the year, and we intend to extend an invitation for a follow-up inspection once the current works are finished.

"This visit has helped our management team ensure that our refurbishment efforts address all relevant concerns.

"At the Olive Tree York, we are dedicated to offering fresh food in a clean environment to both our loyal patrons and new visitors.

"We eagerly invite the people of York to experience our newly refurbished establishment later this year.

“In anticipation of our relaunch, we are planning an exciting event and preparing to introduce a new Mediterranean menu to the public shortly."