Flagship England Primark store fails hygiene inspection

Primark has expressed its disappointment after the café in its world's largest store failed a hygiene inspection.

The Birmingham Primark, which opened its doors in 2019 as the world's biggest fashion retail store, is situated directly opposite Moor Street Station.

This colossal store, spanning 160,000 square feet and replacing The Pavilions shopping centre, boasts a Disney-themed café among its features.

READ MORE: BBC TV licence: Full list of everyone who can cancel now and save £174

READ MORE: New Look shoppers save £32 on Skechers so comfortable shoppers 'own 19 pairs'

The café offers a variety of Disney-inspired sweet treats, including Mickey Mouse pancakes.

Last year saw the addition of Stitch's Surf Café to the store, drawing inspiration from the Lilo and Stitch series and film, reports Birmingham Live.

However, it seems the café's magic doesn't extend to food hygiene, much to the dismay of Disney enthusiasts.

On 22 July, Primark received a less than satisfactory score of '2' (improvement necessary) from hygiene inspectors.

A score below '3' (generally satisfactory) is deemed a fail by the Food Standards Agency (FSA).

In response to the rating, Primark told BirminghamLive that it was 'disappointed', but assured that 'immediate action' has been taken.

A spokesperson for Primark stated: "We were disappointed to learn of this rating which does not reflect the high standards we expect and the strong ratings we've scored in previous external inspections.

"Our catering partner has taken immediate action to address the feedback and we're confident that this will be reflected in future ratings."

Describing the ratings system the FSA says: "Businesses which are given low ratings must make urgent or major improvements to hygiene standards. The local authority food safety officer has several enforcement options available as well as giving advice and guidance to make sure these improvements are made.

"The food safety officer will also tell the business how quickly these improvements must be made and this will depend on the type of issue that needs to be addressed.

"If the officer finds that a business’s hygiene standards are very poor and there is an imminent risk to public health, when food may be unsafe to eat, the officer must act to ensure consumers are protected. This could result in stopping part of the business or closing it down completely until it is safe to recommence."

Ratings investigate:

• handling of food
• how food is stored
• how food is prepared
• cleanliness of facilities
• how food safety is managed