'Contaminated' and 'smelly' towels found at Reading's Bubble tea shop

A tea shop in Reading has been told it needs a 'deep clean' after 'contaminated' and 'smelly' towels were found.

Hygiene inspectors from the Food standards Agency visited the CiTea Bubble tea shop in the Oracle shopping centre on July 12, 2022.

A number of issues were found including wet damp towels that were 'very contaminated' and a puddle of water that had created a tripping hazard.

The bubble tea shop received a one-star rating following the inspection - the lowest on the scale being zero and the highest five star.

The FSA report said: "Plastic icebox and container for the scoop are not clean and have build up/accumulation."The inspector listed four areas that required a deep clean, including under the worktop fridges, the kitchen sink and surfaces, the heat sealer for cups, and all general surfaces that hands might touch.

There were no labels on any of the opened food and the inspector found a pineapple in syrup in the fridge with a lid that was also covered in syrup and therefore contaminated.

The temperature of the fridge was also found to be above the 8C legal limit with a recording of 22C being taken by the inspector.

It went on: "As you [CiTea] serve ready-to-eat foods (drinks) and their toppings, you must keep all cleaning materials clean.

"If you cannot maintain it I recommend not reusing the towels."

There was a suggestion that the ice machine might be broken as well, as there was a puddle of water underneath it that had created a tripping hazard.

CiTea Reading has been approached for comment.

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