A restaurant has been slapped with a zero-star hygiene rating after inspectors found a rotting rodent and rat droppings inside the building.

Jay’s Soul Food opened in the former Old Prince of Wales pub in Ashford town centre in 2022, offering a variety of Afro-Caribbean and West African cuisine.

But the New Street site has now been hit with the lowest possible hygiene score after Ashford Borough Council (ABC) discovered the decomposing rodent in the basement.

An environmental health inspector also found rat activity in the kitchen, evidenced by smear marks on the wall below a hole and droppings found on gloves in a shelving unit and on the floor.

Members of staff were said to be unaware of pest activity, with the ABC official noting how this created a risk of cross and direct contamination from surfaces and equipment.

“You must protect food from risk of contamination,” they wrote in their report.

“Appropriate treatment methods must be used to eliminate these pests.

“Any gaps, and holes to doors, walls, pipes and drains must be filled or covered with a solid, durable material in order to minimise pest entry points into food preparation and storage areas.”

They also advised bosses to carry out a “thorough deep clean” of the property, which dates back to the 19th century.

The condition of floors in the kitchen, basement and bar also caused concern, while chicken was being cooked and chilled at inadequate temperatures, potentially making it unsafe.

Food kept in the dry store was said to be “stored in a haphazard manner”, with “a high amount of stock making it difficult to clean thoroughly and check for pest activity”.

The inspector also found mouldy fruit in the fridge.

“Do not store food directly on the floor,” they added in their report.

“Unfit food and food not to be used for human consumption must be clearly marked… and must be kept separate from other foods.

“You must document recipes so that accurate information can be obtained to provide information to customers.

“You must ensure all food handlers engaged in your food business are supervised, instructed, and/or trained in food hygiene matters.”

The inspector also found water leaking from the pipework around the handwash basin, while there was also liquid pooling on the floor in the basement.

Bosses at the restaurant told inspectors the build-up of water was due to a leak from a mains water pipe, claiming a water company they said was responsible was not taking any action.

Jay’s Soul Food was approached for comment by KentOnline.