Mango Tree ‘sorry’ over major hygiene gaffe
(CNS): Owners of the well-known local restaurant Mango Tree have issued a public apology after a customer found a chunk of deep fried paper towel inside her chicken lunch this week. The unpleasant discovery was videoed and posted on social media on Tuesday, exposing the restaurant to severe criticisms after the post went viral. Mango Tree owner Lorenzo Lowe said an internal investigation was underway and staff would all be retrained, as he admitted the hygiene gaff and the desire to put things right with the restaurant’s long standing customers. The Department of Environmental Health said that it is also investigating the report.
The restaurant, which has been open for eleven years, said it recognised the unfortunate incident, offering a sincere apology.
“It is our highest priority going forward to review our meal prep standards and processes, which includes retraining our staff in the execution of their duties, thus eliminating any re-occurrence of such a sensitive and unfortunate incident,” they said in the public apology. “Our goal has always been to improve our health and safety standards and to continue to serve you our valuable customers and the public with great service and equally ensuring that health and safety practices are aligned with ‘Best Practices’.”
The management said this was not a typical outcome of its service or brand, as it assured customers that the necessary precautions will be taken to ensure it does not happen again. “We are also making the necessary changes through the introduction of new restaurant protocols and procedures,” the manager said, adding that Mango Tree was working to rebuild customer trust.
The DEH said it was investigating a recent report that a “a foreign object was observed in a meal purchased from a local eatery”, but did not specify the details. “Upon the completion of its investigation, the DEH will make the necessary recommendations to prevent a repeat of similar incidents.”
CNS had asked when, or if, restaurants are routinely inspected or whether the agency waits for a complaint before conducting inspections, but the response from DEH was vague: “Safety Officers will also continue to monitor all food establishments and offer the necessary hygiene training to maintain the highest public health standards.”
See the video below, courtesy of CMR:
Category: Business, Food and Drink
The person could have reported it to Mango Tree AND the Department of Environmental Health AND other relevant authorities instead of posting it on social media.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words but sometimes what you see in a picture or video is not the whole story and leads to a lot of speculation.
I am not saying the person set up the video, just saying what was the objective of them posting it to social media and not advising Mango Tree or the relevant authorities first?
Restaurants must be hygienic and keep things sanitary but things happen, the important thing is to recognized what happened, why it happened and put thing in place so it doesn’t happen again.
Instead this being on social media has ruined the reputation of the restaurant, hopefully only temporary.
I am sure the owner(s) must be horrified and yet their livelihood and those who work at the restaurant is threatened because of this irresponsible act of posting the video on social media.
Call chef Ramsey
The Best thing: Cook your own food!
Ugh….please, enough already, a storm in a teacup!
You naysayers and miserable commenters should read up about how much insect and foreign substances are found, in your everyday food. Cereal, pre-packed foods under supposedly hygienic conditions.
In fact the FDA actually recognises that there’san acceptable amount of insect and foreign matter allowed in the production of food….most of the time you just cannot see it.
After reading DEH response to CNS , I would have to say that the Department of Health is a disgrace to be called the DEH . They don’t do inspections , but will continue to monitor all food establishments and offer training . That’s not the job that they should be doing , that’s the responsibility of the establishment to make sure that all employees and the property is up to the DEH standards and be making their inspections unexpected . Sounds like they are the ones that needs training .
There should be inspections too. I’d prefer the A B C D signs on the front doors so we know just how clean the kitchen is.
100% agree! We should strive to start a petition to have such a system implemented.
Could have been worse – I had a weird tasting meal at Epcot once (at night, dimly lit restaurant), and was horrified when more than half-way through I bit into the offending ‘seasoning’ buried in the sauces – a mentholated cigarette filter-butt. After these many years I still shudder at the memory! So cut the usual CNS forum mantra: ‘only in Cayman’.
ID Never buy chicken from there. days old
This had to be a set up. It looks like someone maliciously wants to ruin their business. I find it hard to believe that a cook mistaken a paper towell for a piece of chicken!
So you think that the cook didn’t accidentally cook a piece of paper,
so your smart response is the woman, fried a piece of paper at home, took it to mango tree, ordered food, sat down and stuck it into it then videoed the whole process?
Really
Like how dumb can you be
Was it dipped in batter first? I have eaten there for donkey’s years and never ever had a problem, so this is very likely a freak accident in a very busy kitchen. Keep up the great service Mango Tree.
Have you ever been so high that you…
Agree, the recorder seemed very prepared to uncover the fried paper towel. There wasn’t much suprise factor by the filmer…..
Most CNS commenters are too dumb to pick that up..
You are an idiot. Stop blaming the victim. How prepared did she have to be to ‘oh my goodness’ have her cell phone witH her when she opened her food and stuck her pre-prepared fork into. Was of fried paper towel.
Anonymous 7:11 has a valid point.
How did the recorder knew she was going to find a paper towell in her plate? And so she says “Oh, I will just start recording! Theres a paper towell in my plate!” It don’t make sense to me.
Unless she discovered it first, and then fixed it back into the plate …. and then started to record and make comments.
That’s all season lol, I never bought from there lol!Bracka
Come on fellas.
Can we just blame China.?
If that fails, let’s go for the “because he / she was black” thing.
Works most of the time.
Let’s blame China is dem first do it. Dem fake everyting. All rice dem fake.
CNS – Mango Tree Restaurant has been open continually since the early 1960’s. Perhaps your story meant that it has been operated by the present owner for “eleven years”.
Why are people like this? Just take it back and speak with the manager/owner,I am sure they would have made things right. These days the first thing people do is to snap a photo and send it out for everyone to pass judgment on, get a life people … I am sure worst things goes on at home and many other places . Just remember…. from dirt we came and shall return. Just saying .
What did you expect from CNS commenters?
That’s what you call justice served on a plate , and quick dish washing , and the person should be rewarded with 2 years off free curry goat and cow foot lunches after they clean the place up .
Again here’s another deficiency in the DEH Department of not doing their jobs . That camera and the Media does wonders when you use it responsibly .
A piece of paper towel fell into a tub of seasoned chicked by mistake, very likely. What the hell has that to do with DEH and inspections? Drama queens on the loose!
I’d rather know then be in the dark. Is this person didn’t post to social media then you can bet there would be no retraining.
Knowledge is power. Dont take everything or everyone for face value. Yes their food is good but this just shows you that you got to be careful anywhere you go.
One voice 7:41- you sound like a f**king fool ,this was a intentionally malicious act by someone working there and others need to be aware of it
Are you bloody serious?!
@ One Voice and all that thumbed that comment UP meaniing that you agreed with OV comment . Some of the points that OV made was that , we shouldn’t be like how the unhappy Lady were , and not take the action she did , and that we / public should just sit down and allow public restaurants to operate unsanitary . You people , public restaurants has a responsibility by law to the public of being a place to eat and know that your food is handled with cleanliness and respect. The Lady took good actions , and so should you if it ever happens to you , take precautionary actions, then every restaurant would be safe and clean to eat at like they should be .
Just look at how long that it’s going to take DEH to just finish the investigation into the matter . See how quick the Lady actions got results .
Let me ask you all a question , what would you have done, if you had found a cockroach instead of the paper towel in the chichen ? My answer is to had made more demands from the owner and if he/she didn’t comply , then do the same thing the Lady did , because I know how laws are enforced . It’s called being a good responsible Citizen in Society .
I do not see why this had to be on the social media. This is a non story. No one would cook paper towel so it was an easy mistake. Chicken is deep fried in batch. Paper towel is used to soak up liquid in chicken before it is battered. The paper must have been left in the chicken and battered. Then fried with a batch of chicken
Who teach you how to cook?
Hardly surprising that this could happen. Local health and hygiene regulations are a joke!
When will most of you realize that we all don’t live in a perfect world, just be lucky that it was a paper towel and not something more disgusting like dog,cat,or even rat’s meat, which btw is a delicacy in most shit hole countries where the majority of Cayman’s population comes from, and what’s up with eating iguana here in Cayman smh must truly be horrible to eat a scavenging lizard, no bobo I’ll stick to what comes out of the ocean, that is what caymanians eat anyhow.
Trust me ppl it was just a bad mistake for the restaurant and yes they should be more careful when dealing with food but don’t act like your shit don’t stink either, maybe next time you should consider cooking at home.
10 : 41am , your comment sound like it came from the DEH .
10:41…. why so harsh on bashing other countries calling them names?????? Yes it was an unfortunate event either caused by a disgruntled employee or by accident and has now gone on to DEH and is being dealt with! Hopefully there will be no more incidents like this and everything will be back to normal. Although I’m sure this businesses reputation will be tainted for a while. I think if you dont have anything good to say or write best you keep your low balling comments to yourself. Hopefully one of your children or grandchildren won’t marry one of those nationalities you are so harshly referring to- karma is real!!
I saw the video, it look really bad. I i don’t eat there, not because it is Mango Tree but just because I cook most of my meals and also I am very selective when I eat out. It was probably just a slip up. They were probably drying off the chicken with the paper towel before putting on the seasoning and that piece got stuck among the pieces before being dropped in the dryer. Stuff Ike this probably happens in some of the hoity toity restaurant but they haven’t been caught yet. It could have been worse,
How do we know and are absolutely certain it was at Mango Tree? The evidence is sketchy that it was!
i stop eating out 5 yrs ago…it cheaper to cook night before and bring. cholesterol no.longer through the roof and i feel so much stronger and healthier! Feel like tarzan ……????????
Many people to lazy for that these days. Best food is always home cooked.
Its just an unfortunate mistake. Popular restaurant in the state found fish bone in their burger. Some biscuit happens to just get mixed with peanut butter biscuit. Things will happen thats why restaurant have to take out public and product liability insurance for when these things happens. Its up to you to cook at your home. But then again even we sometimes make mistake
this was clearly not an UNFORTUNATE MISTAKE! nobody in their right minds would scrunch up a paper towel, dip it in egg and breadcrumbs, then deep fry it and make it look like chicken! that was not a mistake.. it was intentional and committed by one of the staff members.. disgusting!
When Tony Romas was here in The Cayman Islands years ago I ordered a rib platter and went to pick it up, I had to end up calling them back after opening the food at home to eat. I found a staple inside and after calling them I returned to the restaurant with the food and got a refund, also i have boycotted another local restaurant very popular i may add as i sat and was served a plate of Stew turtle and low and behold 2 pieces of human hair was in my food but I understood why because of the hairy chefs that cooked at the establishment and probably didnt hAVE THEIR ARMS COVERED . Im not a malicious person and wouldnt stoop to such LOWS to make a person bad or an establishment . people need to really be careful if they gonna be malicious especially in the food industry.
I only can say it’s a set from one of the staff members. Btw paper towel is not poisonous ….it snow gonna kill any one …
Okay then you eat deep fried bounty and report back.
Maybe, maybe not. What concerns me is that it looks completely deliberate. I’m trying to see in my mind if someone told me to make paper towel look like chicken, I don’t think I could do it.
And if it was deliberate, then what else was on the paper towel? Bodily fluids? Chemicals? Poison? Furthermore, what else was transferred to the oil which other customers consumed? It’s not just one customer that was affected here.
Sorry…Not Sorry.
looks fowl . get it ? fowl?
???? ????????
Boy I do not believe this story at all!
When you ask for the vegan option at Mango Tree… ????????
Fire everyone including the chef that be outside with the nasty apron on on the phone
How can you deep fry a piece of paper towel? i would think it would just melt away or burn. This must have been a setup/prank by the person sharing the meal! The weight of the towel and the ‘softness’ alone will give it away that it wasn’t right!. Owners, install cameras in you kitchens and everywhere they handle foods, then when things like this happen hold the persons responsible accountable!
How do you deep fry a paper towel? Likely dredge it in flour first, a little egg wash and then dip in the breadcrumbs. Try it with a little pic a pepper.
What did it taste like? Not chicken?
I took a bite, tasted like Bounty, the Quicker Picker Upper. Plus I didn’t have to wipe my mouth after. Mmmm.