The owner of a “dirty” shop has been ordered to stop selling pastries potentially laden with harmful bacteria - or face “formal action”.

Appledore Village Stores near Ashford was found to be holding baked items significantly below the required legal temperatures.

In handing out a one-star rating, hygiene inspectors told bosses “it was clear” not enough had been done to ensure “certain food is safe to eat”.

Strict government rules are in place designed to ensure baked items are cooked and held under rigid conditions to prevent unsafe bacterial growth.

Those persistently in breach can face prosecution and a maximum fine of £20,000 per offence.

But bosses say they will welcome a reinspection having remedied the problems, claiming now that “everything is perfect”.

An Ashford Borough Council (ABC) inspector told the owners following the visit last month: “It was clear that you had not done enough to identify, control and monitor all steps and activities of your food business that are needed to make certain food is safe to eat.

“I am concerned that this matter has not yet been acted on as the same matter was also found at the previous inspection carried out in 2022.

“I must warn you that continuous non-compliance with the food law can lead to formal action being taken against you.”

The business, which also houses a Post Office on The Street, was found to be holding food 20°C below the minimum 63°C limit potentially for up to six hours.

While hot food can be kept for service, or on display for sale, for a single period of up to two hours at a temperature below 63°C, it requires bosses to actively document what happens and when.

The store, which previously held a three-star rating, was found to not have any such monitoring in place.

Inspectors also branded the shop “dirty” before meting out the one-star grade following the November 14 probe.

A report obtained by KentOnline via an FOI request highlighted major issues with cleanliness and food management.

Inspectors discovered a build-up of dirt where the baked goods were made, with the internal oven surface and trays kept “in a dirty state”.

The oven glove used to cook and handle pastries was also dirty and worn – with officers having to tell the business to replace or clean equipment.

Defective and damaged infrastructure was also found to be an issue, with the lighting in the storage area not working and the ceiling in both the front and back areas of the building below par.

In the shop itself, there was structural damage above the magazine rack – an issue which has not been rectified since a previous inspection in 2022.

Inspectors said the shop front was “littered” and felt areas were overstocked with an accumulation of discarded cardboard – hindering cleaning and potentially attracting pests.

Prepacked items such as bottled drinks, beer and milkshakes were placed directly on the floor in both the shopfront and storerooms.

At the time of the inspection, staff members were unable to supply a documented food safety management system for review – a legal requirement for food business operators.

Staff working during the inspection said they had not had any training for their roles – with officers encouraging bosses to change this.

Delivering their findings, officers warned the store it would need to get on top of its cleaning schedule as well as start documenting its food safety management system – something the shop had previously been told to do.

Inspectors said: “To ensure that the pastries are safe to eat, you must put in place a system to monitor the temperature of the pastries on hot display.

“All areas where food is stored or handled must have sufficient lighting of intensity to allow food preparation to be carried out safely and cleaning to be carried out thoroughly.

“Repair or renew the ceiling to leave a surface that will prevent the accumulation of dirt.

“Thoroughly clean the dirty equipment, disinfect as necessary, and maintain in a clean condition.

“By providing a cleaning schedule you will be able to keep track of cleaning done by the staff and to assure consistent action.”

Responding to the findings, an Appledore Village Stores spokesman told KentOnline: “Everything is much better, everything is perfect.

"Everyone is well-trained, I know what is going on in the shop. It's a really tidy shop, it's nothing at all. It's not like a dirty shop.

"Everything is tidy, we've got all the food management records – last time my staff didn’t know where I kept the files.”

He added the ceiling damage has been repaired and food is kept at the correct temperatures.