680 days ago

Auckland's filthiest restaurants revealed by council

Brian from Mount Roskill

In Auckland Council's latest list of D grade food outlets, from last September to January this year, 41 shops received a D grade while two were forced to close temporarily after being issued E grades.
Breaches included poor cleaning and food safety preparation, hygiene and storage, deficient temperature controls, poor maintenance of equipment and facilities, and pests.
According to the council, a food grade certificate gives customers assurance that food they buy is safe and suitable to eat, and that the outlet meets quality and hygiene requirements under the Food Act.
An A, B or C grade means an outlet provides a level of confidence that the food it sells is safe.
D and E grades require enforcement by food inspectors, meaning a wide range of issues need to be rectified.
E ratings are given for critical risks, such as an out-of-control pest infestation or an absolutely filthy kitchen.
Central Auckland recorded the most D grade restaurants in the region with 13 shops identified with breaches, while south Auckland had 12.
Seven food shops in East Auckland were marked D grades, with five in the west, and four in the north.
Glen Innes Bakery and Cafe, Vanilla Plant Based Kitchen in Howick, Ak's Bakery in Mt Wellington, Dedwood Deli in Ponsonby, Manna Kitchen Onehunga, The Meat Hut in Massey, Gangnam Style Korean BBQ in Takapuna, Glen Eden Takeaways, 932 Mt Albert BBQ Noodle House, Mt Albert BBQ Noodle House and Hot and Spicy Pot East Tamaki all had pests.
Of the 41 shops that were issued with a D grade, 35 were reissued with A grades after rectifying breaches.
E grades were issued to United Coffee Nation on Victoria St West in Auckland Central, and Songket Malaysian Cafe at Kilham Ave, Northcote.
Both food outlets have been issued a D grade since, and allowed to operate.
South Auckland councillor Alf Filipina said customers deserved better, and eating at places that were clean was the bare minimum.
"The good thing about these inspections is that it's catching them out and taking them to task for not complying," Filipaina said.
"Once cockroaches or pests are identified, they're shut down and told to fumigate and prove that they can reopen again."
He said it was a shame that some owners have let their shops go.
"This is where people go to buy their food, and eat. The ones that are being shut down for cockroaches and pests, those are the ones that need to be highlighted.
"It's not just about the food, it's about cleanliness of the premises they walk into, customers expect that and its shop owners responsibility to make sure the cooking area is clean and around their shops too."
Food safety breaches don't incur fines, but the council recovers costs with reinspection revisits to monitor or confirm compliance.
The average compliance cost for an E grade reinspection was $1400, while it was up to $771 for a D grade.
List of D and E grade outlets from Sept 2023- Jan 2024
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Glen Innes Bakery and Cafe
Howick Village Cafe
Barilla Dumpling, Milford
Chowfoo Restaurant, Albany
Bakar Malaysian Cuisine, Panmure
Huanoa Takeaways, Papatoetoe
Moore St Bake House, Howick
Happy Days Restaurant, Manukau
Love Punjab Restaurant and Bar, Manurewa
Vanilla Plant Based Kitchen, Howick
Yummy Dumpling House, Queen St
Razeens Fastfoods and Takeaway, Māngere
Bread N Butter Home Cookery, Onehunga
Esquires Manukau
Korean Foods, Papatoetoe
Polynesian Takeaway, Avondale
Bamboo Gardens Takeaway, New Lynn
Golden Rooster Chinese Resturant, Rosedale
Burrito House, Birkenhead
Top World Bakery & Cafe, Ōtāhuhu
Idly Sambar, Kingsland
Daaku Kebab & Cafe, Manurewa
Panda Noodle Express, Albany
Happy Cafe, Royal Oak
Ak's Bakery, Mt Wellington
Dedwood Deli, Ponsonby
Daaku Kebab St George Street, Papatoetoe
Mount Eden Village Kebab
Al's Roast & Qiaos Chinese Takeaway, Snells Beach
Bombay Chinese Indian Restaurant, Queen St
Manna Kitchen Onehunga
Bawarchi Indian Food Takeaway, Sandringham
Beekeepers Wife, Riverhead
The Meat Hut, Massey
Chicking Takanini
Gangnam Style Korean BBQ Restaurant, Takapuna
United Coffee Nation, Victoria St West
Glen Eden Takeaways
932 Mt Albert BBQ Noodle House
Songket Malaysian Cafe
Mt Albert BBQ Noodle House
New Save Supermarket Newmarket
Hot and Spicy Pot East Tamaki
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1 day ago

Poll: 🗑️ Would you be keen to switch to a fortnightly rubbish collection, or do you prefer things as they are?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

Aucklanders, our weekly rubbish collections are staying after councillors voted to scrap a proposed trial of fortnightly pick-ups.

We want to hear from you: would you be keen to switch to a fortnightly rubbish collection, or do you prefer things as they are?

Keen for the details? Read up about the scrapped collection trial here.

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🗑️ Would you be keen to switch to a fortnightly rubbish collection, or do you prefer things as they are?
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4 hours ago

7 tips for buying your Christmas ham

Brian from Mount Roskill

It’s the centerpiece of the Christmas table, so when you’re peering into the supermarket chiller or ordering from the butcher, choosing the perfect ham can feel like a daunting task.
Here are some things to keep in mind when choosing one to bring home with you. 
1. What type of ham to buy
You’ve got some decisions to make when it comes to the type of Christmas ham you’re going to buy. 
Cooked on the bone (COB) ham is the traditional Christmas ham. If you’re buying a half ham, you’ll have the choice of the shank or fillet end. The shank is the part with the bone sticking out that gives the ham that traditional look. The fillet end is the round part that gives more meat. If you’re deciding whether to get a whole ham or half, consider how quickly you’ll be able to eat it all. You only have about a week to eat an opened ham before it will go off, so it can be a good idea to get two halves. That way you can eat one half during the week of Christmas and save the other for January.
Champagne ham has had the bone removed and only has the hock left on, so it’s easier to carve.
Pressed ham – also known as continental ham – has had the bones removed and has been pressed, so it’s also easy to carve.
2. Check the pork percentage 
The label on a packaged ham will say what percentage is actually meat. Hams are injected with brine, to keep them moist, and additives. The brine injection level for manufactured hams is usually between 10% and 35% of the ham's weight. A manufacturer that wants to produce a cheap ham will add more water to bump up the weight.
3. Know how to tell if it’s New Zealand pork
By far, most of the hams bought in New Zealand this Christmas will be from pigs reared overseas. New Zealand imports pork from about 25 countries. It’s frustrating for New Zealand pig farmers because this ham can come from farms that don’t have to meet the same animal welfare standards as we have in this country. As a result, overseas meat is often cheaper.
If buying New Zealand pork is important to you, look for: 
words on the packaging like ‘New Zealand pork’ or ‘born and raised in New Zealand’
4. Have a good look at the ham
If you’re going to be glazing your ham, look for one that is covered in a finger-thick layer of fat. This will give you the thickness you need to make good score lines.  
New Zealand Pork’s website also advises looking for a ham that has a meaty texture rather than one that looks wet or rubbery. It says the ham’s skin should be smooth with even colouring. “If the knuckle is sunken, it may be overcooked. If the rind is buckled or uneven, it may be a sign of dryness.”  
5. Ask a lot of questions 
If you’re ordering your pork from a butcher, you probably won’t be able to compare hams like you would at the supermarket. So, make sure you ask lots of questions, now that you know what you’re looking for.  
You could ask: 
Is the ham made from New Zealand born and farmed pork?
What will be its injection percentage?
What flavours will it have?
You could even ask if there’s a glaze the butcher thinks would work particularly well with those flavours.   
6. Know what size you’ll need
If the ham is the only meat on your Christmas menu, New Zealand Pork advises allowing 1kg of ham for five people. Or if you’ve got other meat options, 1kg will feed about six to eight people.
7. Know the best hams in New Zealand
The best hams of the year were awarded at the 100% New Zealand Bacon & Ham Awards earlier in the year so you can check out which ones got medals. Some of them are only available in the city the butcher is based, but a Farmland boneless ham available nationwide won a gold award and Woolworths bone-in and boneless hams picked up bronze.
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