Summary
A major supermarket chain holds just a one-star hygiene rating at its branch in Cheltenham, with ‘major improvements’ needed towards its food safety and hygiene measures. The Morrisons store on Caernarvon Road was last inspected in January 2026, and received the damning rating from the Food Standards Agency.
Details
The report states that the grocery store requires ‘major improvements’ when it comes to its hygienic food handling, including preparation, cooking, re-heating, cooling, and storage. And the same level of improvement is also needed in the supermarket’s food safety management, to ensure that food sold or served is safe to eat, and that staff know about food safety.
However, Morrisons in Cheltenham was found to be ‘generally satisfactory’ by the Food Standards Agency when it comes to the cleanliness and condition of the building and facilities. The store was inspected earlier this year after one concerned customer contacted the Environmental Health Officer following a visit to the Morrisons shop where she tried to buy some frozen foods – only to find them “soft and defrosted”.
When searching for a bag of frozen chips, the shopper, who did not wish to be named, said she picked up a packet and “the whole bag was soft”, and the freezer felt warm. She found everything on the top shelf of the freezer to be in a similar state.
The customer said she raised her complaint with a Morrisons colleague in the supermarket, and even took some defrosted products with her to show the staff member – who was allegedly “dismissive”.
The woman said: “I worry they pose a health risk to customers, as we don’t know how long these have been stored in warm temperatures for.” Under food safety regulations in the UK, frozen food should be stored at -18°C or less.
However, one freezer at the Cheltenham branch was found to be at -0.4°C, while inspectors found frozen cod fillets at -1.1°C, according to a Freedom of Information request obtained by The Grocer, and seen by The Sun .
Inspectors slammed the Morrisons branch, claiming it “posed a risk to human health”, and the shop was then forced to throw away 431 items, including 48 packets of Morrisons Savers Chicken Nuggets and 33 bags of Young’s Flipper Dippers, The Sun reports . However, a Morrisons spokesperson said that “immediate action” was taken to resolve the issues that were raised following the inspection.
What You Need to Know
When searching for a bag of frozen chips, the shopper, who did not wish to be named, said she picked up a packet and “the whole bag was soft”, and the freezer felt warm. She found everything on the top shelf of the freezer to be in a similar state.
However, one freezer at the Cheltenham branch was found to be at -0.4°C, while inspectors found frozen cod fillets at -1.1°C, according to a Freedom of Information request obtained by The Grocer, and seen by The Sun .
Report source: Gloucestershire Live
