A Fareham bakery released a statement today in response to norovirus that has affected both staff and customers:
Firstly I would like to state that Soothills Bakery has NOT been closed down and furthermore has NEVER been under any threat of closure due to an outbreak of food poisoning or otherwise.
Whilst we acknowledge that the bakery was examined by Environmental Health recently, it was due to, what would appear to be, an unfortunate outbreak of Norovirus that affected staff and customers alike.
The Norovirus, most commonly known as the winter vomiting bug, is a seemingly modern phenomenon that is highly contagious and, due to an incubation period of anywhere between 12 and 48 hours can unwittingly be passed on without the carrier being aware that they are ill until symptoms present. It can be passed from person to person and by contaminated surfaces due to aerosolization. It can affect schools, shops, restaurants and even hospitals; anywhere that has relatively large volumes of people coming into close contact with each other is at a higher risk of spreading the virus. The virus itself can survive for several days on surfaces and objects touched by an infected person. It is extremely unpleasant but fortunately for most short lived.
During this time we have taken every possible precaution to avoid any further infection and to protect customers and staff under the guidance of Environmental Health.
Soothills Bakery has consistently maintained a 5 star rating for hygiene and is rigorously examined annually. It is our duty to continually assess and improve in every aspect of health, safety and hygiene and we are very proud of our record in this respect.
Our management and staff strive continuously to maintain the highest possible standards at the fairest possible price for our customers.
