By Vanessa Greco
Misplaced oil drums and beer spilling onto stored ice-cubes are among six reasons Ryerson’s pub and café failed to meet health and safety standards in a recent inspection.
Last December, the Ram in the Rye and the Oakham House café received a conditional pass from a Toronto Public Health assessment. The Ram and adjoining café were handed a list of six infractions, ranging from minor to crucial, and asked to fix them immediately.
“There were just a couple of oversights on our part,” said Michael Verticchio, interim general manager at the Student Campus Centre (SCC) and Oakham House.
Despite the infractions, the pub and café were allowed to continue operating. Within four days, an inspector returned to re-evaluate the site and gave it a full passing grade.
The most serious error involved the mismanagement of ice at the Ram in the Rye which Toronto Public Health called “failure to protect food from contamination.”
Due to a disconnected drainage tube, excess beer had been spilling into a nearby sink storing ice for mixed drinks, said Verticchio.
A proper metal ice bucket has been purchased.
Minor warnings were given for failure to properly wash surfaces and lockers inappropriately located in a room storing non-perishable food items.
As well, on inspector recommendations, several drums of oil have been moved to the back of the SCC. Oil from the deep fryer is cooled and dumped into the 40 gallon drums before being picked up by a removal company.
Oakham House kitchen manager Alfred Burr believes the conditional pass has made employees at the Ram and Oakham house more attentive.
“Our staff is more vigilant now. It’s almost overkill,” said Burr. “But, I would much rather have too much than too little.”
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