Keeping Your Health in Mind

Do you sometimes wonder if restaurants are making you sick?  Are they washing their glasses, do they sanitize their utensils, is their food stored correctly?  You will be glad to know that the Health Department in most towns and cities not only inspects for general cleanliness but also requires each establishment to attend a "ServSafe Food Service Sanitation Course".  It is mandatory every 5 years to ensure that the most up-to-date standards are disseminated and followed.  I did mine five years ago and this year, along with my annual Health Department permit approval form, there was this gentle reminder that I must now take this course again. It covers an entire gamut of subjects:

• How long you can keep food out before it has to be frozen or reheated
• The safe range of temperatures for refrigeration and freezing
• Awareness of different food-borne illnesses
• The proper way to clean surfaces, hands, equipment
• How to set up an internal sanitation program

For those of you who have visited our tea room, you know what sticklers we are about cleanliness and sanitization.  This is why we remove the 2nd place setting if you are dining alone.  It is why we discard all unused creme fraiche, preserves, cakes from Afternoon Tea tiers even if they have not been touched.  It is why we discourage you from leaving your tea leaves or Iced Tea out overnight.  It is why we have to throw out expensive Tea Cozies if we see customers putting it on their heads!  We made many changes 5 years ago after my first course and who knows, we may make more once I finish this one.   We carry those principles into our offices and homes as well.  If you're interested in learning about any of these, ask us and we will gladly share our knowledge.  Wish me luck, this course has an exam at the end of it!