*Everest Kitchen, The Friary Bow, Abbey Street || Photo: The Clare Echo
AN Ennis restaurant remains closed under a food safety order after inspectors identified a range of breaches, including a lack of an operational hand-washing basin, poor cleaning standards and concerns over food storage and temperature control.
The closure order was served on the operators of Everest Kitchen Nepalese at The Friary Bow, Abbey Street, on September 18 following an inspection by Environmental Health Officers from the Health Service Executive (HSE).
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) included the restaurant among 12 food businesses served with closure orders nationwide during September.
The order states that the entire premises must remain closed, with inspectors concluding there was or was likely to be “a grave and immediate danger to public health” if the business continued operating in its condition at the time of inspection.
Inspectors found that the hand-washing basin in the kitchen was not operational and had no running water or the necessary materials for cleaning hands.
The premises were also found not to be maintained in a clean condition, with accumulations of dirt, food debris and grease, alongside heavily stained surfaces and equipment. No suitable disinfectant was available to facilitate effective cleaning.
The order also identified concerns about food storage and temperature control.
Use-by dates could not be demonstrated for prepared foods produced on site, including cooked and cooled chicken and lamb.
Cooked rice held in a rice cooker was recorded at 54 degrees Celsius, while a tray of marinated chicken wings left on the drainer of the food sink was recorded at 20 degrees Celsius.
Inspectors also found that the food business operator could not demonstrate that the probe thermometer used to monitor food temperatures was accurate and suitably verified.
Poor storage practices were observed in refrigeration units, while a member of the public was permitted to access the kitchen and use its facilities to prepare food for personal consumption.
The closure order further cited the absence of a comprehensive food safety management system based on Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles, as well as failures to demonstrate adequate staff training, instruction and supervision in food hygiene.
FSAI chief executive Greg Dempsey said the September orders highlighted the importance of maintaining robust food safety and hygiene practices.
“These are entirely preventable non-compliances when proper food safety management systems are in place,” he said.
The FSAI’s September enforcement report records the closure order against Everest Kitchen Nepalese as having been served on September 18, 2026, with no lifting date listed.
