Can't believe that people take this risk

[adevine]

I recently went to a craft fair and asked a couple of the stallholders who were selling cakes and food etc. whether they had gone down the road of applying to their local council for a hygiene certificate and whether they complied with all the regulations and was staggered that most of them hadn't done this and were just taking a chance. They didn't even have anything on their cakes to say may contain nuts or refer to any allergies. What if someone became ill because of something they ate? I'm also staggered that no one has ever asked me if I have insurance let alone asked to see it and one of these was a huge craft fair run professionally. I also watched the people in the tea rooms who were making sandwiches spoon egg mayo into their mouths and then put it back in the bowl ready to dish up on to a customer's sandwich - gross! Maybe I'm too cautious and nothing ever goes wrong but I for one wouldn't want to take that risk!

[Caroleecrafts]

Nothing surprises me anymore, the insurance bit, amazed at how many crafters do not have insurance and when Jill and I organised an event last year some said they did not want to go down that route yet! why not? needless to say they did not get a table as no insurance no table. I think some of it is that they are not registered with the HMRC and flying under the radar. Agree where food is concerned you have to be so careful I did the hygiene course last year it is quite involved but if you know your stuff not that difficult and worth every penny.

[Critchley]

I am not insured which is why I don't do fairs or sell my products. Not reg. with tax man either but if I was to go down that road I would do both of those things. As to Health and Hygene. How stupid. I used to own a cafe and it was absolutely essential that anyone working in that environent should hold a certificate, so much could happen, not necessarily your fault either so equally, insurance is also top of the list. We are not talking peanuts, claims could run into hundreds of thousands chaining you up with payments for your lifetime if you were lucky enough not to go to prison.

[adevine]

If only all organisers were like you! I'm just surprised at the lack of questions most event organisers ask it seems just about anyone can get a table no questions asked and that they also don't seem to care when they haven't advertised it and if it went well for you or not they have just taken their money and run. I'm sure there are some decent organisers out there you just have to do your homework as I'm finding out.

Nothing surprises me anymore, the insurance bit, amazed at how many crafters do not have insurance and when Jill and I organised an event last year some said they did not want to go down that route yet! why not? needless to say they did not get a table as no insurance no table. I think some of it is that they are not registered with the HMRC and flying under the radar. Agree where food is concerned you have to be so careful I did the hygiene course last year it is quite involved but if you know your stuff not that difficult and worth every penny.

[Caroleecrafts]

The thing we found was that if the stallholders did not have insurance that invalidated the organisers insurance so a waste of money for us as well if anything went wrong, which was why we were so adamant that the stallholders had valid certificates.

[Christa]

YIKES! And there was me worrying that so many people have their food items on open display with no covers - I prefer my cupcakes without spittle and extra germy sprinkles... As for the spoon double dipping ugh ugh and double ugh!

I always carry a copy of my insurance when I go to fairs and events...I have only once been asked to produce it...but almost every fair I have booked I have been asked to declare that I have valid insurance as part of the booking form. I would not dream of not having insurance - the possibility of resultant poverty and prison does not appeal in the least

[removed10]

I took my son (years ago) to a birthday party at a pizza place that was open cafeteria style - you paid a set amount as you went in (unless someone's guest) and then just went around serving yourself....and I saw a little girl go to the dessert counter and eat chocolate pudding from the serving bowl and spoon....she could just barely reach it...


I have been nervous about eating out ever since I read Roald Dahl's The Witches many many years ago - a woman in the hotel dining room complained about her meal and the waiter took it back - everyone took a turn spitting into her sauce and then the waiter took it back to her and she proceeded to enjoy her meal...gag, gag....makes me woozy just to write it!!!

[lillylines]

Errr how disgusting!! I have bought from a food table before, but I suppose you just don't think about it, otherwise you wouldn't eat out at all and be totally paranoid! I think you have to trust people wash their hands and don't have dirty habits, doesn't bare thinking about, so try not to.lol.x

[fairycakes1972]

That's the problem, I think most people assume (rightly or wrongly) that the people they are buying from area all above board, and have registered and hold insurance!!

There are soooo many home bakers that have set up on the back of the new baking trend thinking it's easy money, but haven't actually looked into it properly, which is why they can charge £1 a cupcke!!!

Ok rant over!!!

[indri]

I work with someone who teaches environmental health and I hear many worse horror stories in our tea room!

Oh, and I would never pay £1 for a cupcake, especially after going to a food festival in Leamington where there were samples of overpriced cupcake (I think they were £2.50 - £3 each!) and the sponge was dry and heavy and flavourless. We ended up buying some 20p fairy cakes for charity and the sponge was so much nicer on the 20p ones, and without sickly amounts of butter icing too.

[Karin]

Ugh, how disgusting.
I have a friend (a very close friend in fact) who bakes for the church so they can raise funds for charity, and although she is a clean person, she has cats, and I often wondered about the hygiene stuff. I took a picture of her cat once (I had cats too and LOVE them btw) and blew it up to frame it for her and was horrified at the dust and loose hairs on his body. They live in a tiny flat and her cakes are really well cooked. This is just my friend. I often wondered what went on in other private homes/kitchens for cake stalls at the church and frankly I just could not have any.

[The One at 352]

Maybe people have taken a leaf out of the latest KitKat advert - you know the one where they are asking you to vote for either the double chocolate one, the peanut chocolate one, the white choc one and the orange one. In it there's a chap who sticks his finger in the chocolate fountain and then licks it. Every time I see that I say to my husband 'that's why I never eat chocolate from one of those'!!

I never buy food from craft fair stalls for the very reason you say. I find it quite bizarre that someone would go into the business without the necessary hygeine certificates - I suspect they think that as they are a one or two-man band they will be exempt from prosecution if they poison and kill several hundered people who've eaten their cakes after an event.

[soyofthenorth]

To say having this going on doesn't sound nice is an understatement.

I'm glad I've got someone in my family that sets a good example. My grandma has been baking for decades for her local church groups and a local market. She keeps her kitchen clean, even cleaning while in the middle of baking, and does everything hygienically. Every year she also does a Food Hygiene course.

However it is not compulsary for some people to have a food hygiene certificate, whch in my opinion should be compulsary. The Food Standards Agency website says:

There is no legal requirement to attend a formal training course or get a qualification, although many businesses may want their staff to do so. The necessary skills may also be obtained in other ways, such as through on-the-job training, self-study or relevant prior experience.

[Critchley]

A little story along similar lines - Took my aged Aunt to Coventry last Friday picking up No.2 son on the way. She wanted to go to a particular shop so he was to show us the way. Having arrived at this small shopping area Aunty decidsed she wanted to eat - no cafe in sight of course. Found one tucked just inside a small alley so we headed for it hoping it was wheelchair friendly which it appeared to be. We went in to this very small area, 4/5 tables, and pushed Auntie to the nearest empty one which was not too clean. It was the epitomy of a 'dive' with a general air of unkemptness. No.2 son was busy trying to convince Aunty that perhaps we should not risk it when a drunken young lad joined us at the table and started fawning over her which she loved cos she is like that. Son lost his rag, grabbed the chair and frogmarched her and her chair out of the cafe almost towing the drunk with us as she was so reluctant to let go of his hand. lol.
We crossed the road and entered the pub oposite. Made it to the bar and the barmaid said "Weren't you happy in the cafe' grinning all over her face.From where she stood you could see it all from the window. I replied that I was not convinced that their hygene was quite up to standard and she fell about laughing. We had apparently made a good decision.

[indri]

Never trust cafes in alleys, especially in Cov!