Food safety inspections at the BBC’s canteens have revealed a host of hygiene problems, including a cockroach infestation in the BBC’s main cafe.
Pest control reports seen by MailOnline show that the News Cafe, which serves food and drink to staff and talent including Alex Jones, Zoe Ball and Vernon Kay from Broadcasting House in London, had an ongoing problem with pests.
Separate checks at the Beeb’s Media City studios in Salford, home to major shows such as Match of the Day, found food in the kitchen that had been out of date a YEAR earlier.
The reports, obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, are enough to turn the stomachs of anyone who eats at the BBC.
A number of documents, five of which date from the last twelve months, also show that there were high levels of fruit flies and filter flies in the area, attracted by dirty drains, rotten skirting boards and mouldy walls.
Pest control reports seen by MailOnline show that the News Cafe, which serves food and drink to staff and talent including Alex Jones, Zoe Ball (pictured) and Vernon Kay from Broadcasting House in London, had an ongoing problem with pests.
Vernon Kay will appear in an episode of Loose Women on September 10, 2024
Cockroaches reproduce rapidly and can spread food poisoning bacteria such as salmonella and E. Coli. They also cause asthma and allergies by shedding body parts and feces.
Evidence of German cockroaches was repeatedly found in the kitchen of the News Cafe by Rentokil in September, October, November and December of last year.
Insecticide spray treatments didn’t seem to help, as the bugs kept coming back. More recent reports weren’t available, so it’s unknown if they’ll continue to plague the cafeteria.
In September, three separate inspections found evidence of cockroach activity in the kitchen and dishwashing area, and live adult insects were captured.
It was also noted that a ‘deep clean’ was needed under the sinks to ‘remove residue and dirt which currently encourages fruit fly activity’. The insects were also seen around the microwaves where staff were heating up their lunches.
A report states: ‘It is believed that [insect] ‘The activity moves from the kitchen to the canteen area.’
Despite the treatment with toxic sprays, five further inspections in October, November and December found that the cockroach infestation persisted.
According to the BBC, the issue has been fixed, but regular inspections are still being carried out to prevent the bugs from returning.
A spokesman said: ‘This canteen has achieved the highest five-star food hygiene rating. Our canteens are routinely inspected and if any issues are reported they are dealt with promptly.’
Sandwiches that had expired the year before were found in the canteen at BBC Media City in Salford, where Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer and Ian Wright filmed Match of the Day.
Many of the BBC’s staff and programmes were transferred to Media City from May 2011
Other inspections in London and Salford found appalling hygiene problems, including ‘red slime’ in one kitchen.
Legal demands were issued to immediately resolve the problems so the cafeterias could remain open.
In Salford, where Gary Lineker, Ian Wright and Alan Shearer film Match of the Day, there was no soap at the sinks, meaning staff preparing the meals could not wash their hands properly.
At The News Cafe, the cleaning of the sinks and dishwasher was deemed to be non-compliant, with ‘red gunk on them and requiring a thorough cleaning’.
There were further violations regarding cleaning, as grease had built up over a period of six months and this grease had to be scraped away before work could resume.
Rules had been broken when a grease trap in the main washroom was not working and orders were given to deep clean the shelves in the kitchen.
Food was kept in a warm place for longer than allowed by hygiene regulations and kitchen equipment had to be thoroughly cleaned.
The report also found that there was insufficient space in the freezer to store food and that the kitchen had previously been plagued by an infestation of fruit flies, which can transmit unsanitary bacteria.
The two canteens at Elstree Studios in Hertfordshire, where Strictly Come Dancing is filmed, also had a few minor issues that needed sorting out.
Cockroaches can spread food poisoning and cause asthma and allergies by shedding their feces and body parts (File Image)
Cockroaches are considered a serious hygiene risk (File image)
Examples of this include peeling paint that needed to be repaired so that a backsplash could be properly cleaned and a crumbling ceiling in a storage room.
Local authorities are responsible for inspecting businesses and enforcing food hygiene legislation.
If they feel that food hygiene standards are not good enough, they can take action, such as demanding that problems be resolved, but also closing the business or even taking legal action.
Inspections take place at intervals of up to five years, but are often more frequent. The reports released to the Ny Breaking are for the most recent inspections at all three BBC sites for 2020 and 2022.
The food in BBC staff canteens is notoriously bad and has provided food for stars including Ronnie Corbett, Peter Sellers, Terry Wogan and Les Dawson.
Sellers joked on the Goon show in 1954: ‘Lunch is now being served in the BBC canteen. Doctors are standing by.’
Legendary BBC World Affairs editor John Simpson recently joked on X, formerly Twitter: ‘A meal I recently had at a cheap roadside restaurant in Khartoum was better than the BBC canteen.’
BBC producer Kevin Core posted about a tuna and mayonnaise sandwich that was ‘so bad’, adding: ‘The guy made it knowing it was quite tough [and] old. Scandalous.’
Newsreader Rich Preston called the image of the BBC offices in Scoop, the drama about the Prince Andrew interview, “complete nonsense”, adding: “They showed the BBC canteen with a large and healthy selection of food.”
The Rentokil reports, released to Ny Breaking under the Freedom of Information Act, showed consistent cockroach and fly activity over an eight-month period
In addition to the ‘evidence’ of the insects, the inspectors also found live cockroaches
Author Bethany Black called the cafeteria food “the worst I’ve ever eaten,” adding: “A can of chopped tomatoes with a diced mushroom in it is not bolognese sauce, and adding paprika to it doesn’t make it chili.”
BBC director Rob Jones posted a photo of a bowl of bright red ‘soup’ that was served to him, calling the soup ‘appalling’.
Radio 4 newsreader Chris Berrow said last year: ‘Given that National Avocado Day has received such a lot of attention on the BBC Canteen, I’m devastated to see that once again this year there will be not a single dish on the menu that contains avocado.’
Allie Hodgkins-Brown, a duty editor at BBC News, complained that it cost £1.50 to spread butter and Marmite on two slices of bread she had brought with her.