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purchasing that makes his stock-keeping so complex. Too frequently the stock room is found to be
congested with boxes and cartons stacked to the ceiling and leaving little or no passage room ; this
situation makes cleaning impossible and impairs lighting and ventilation. The condensation units
of the deep-freeze cabinets generate considerable heat and when the units are sited in the stock room
they further detract from the ideal of a cool, well lighted and ventilated place for the storage of food.
Unfortunately, these circumstances are often to be found in the basements of grocers' premises where
the remedy presents real problems. Display for sale of open food without adequate protection,
particularly cooked meat and products containing eggs and milk, though obviously undesirable,
present difficulty in proving risk of contamination. These aspects, together with the alleged sales
resistance that glass screens are said to offer, continue to be subjects of contention between inspector
and shopkeeper.
Food Stalls.
During the year food was sold from 95 licensed stalls in street markets in the Borough and frequent
inspections were made for compliance with the requirements relating to stalls in the Food Hygiene
Regulations and the London County Council Byelaws for the Protection of Food.
Basement Bakehouses.
Under the provisions of section 54 of the Factories Act, 1937, a local authority is required to examine,
every fifth year, all basement bakehouses for which a certificate of suitability has been issued. For this
purpose a special survey was made of the three basement bakehouses remaining in the Borough, in
addition to the routine inspections made periodically throughout the year. As a result, one certificate
of suitability was renewed, after certain work had been done, and the proprietors of the other two
establishments were given notice of the Council's intention not to issue further certificates of suitability
in respect of their premises.
Fifty years ago there were 75 basement bakehouses in St. Marylebone and until just before the last
war there were still 49. Among the reasons for their gradual disappearance is the fact that no new
ones have been permitted to be established since 1904 and with the passage of time costly structural
repairs have become necessary to maintain a satisfactory standard of hygiene. Rather than face
this, occupiers have preferred to discontinue baking and obtain supplies of bread and cakes from
bakeries elsewhere. In certain other instances, owing to the growth of the amount of business done
and the physical impossibility of extending the underground bakeries, the proprietors have dispensed
with them in favour of new bakehouses above ground.
Horseflesh.
The only shop in the Borough selling horseflesh for human food closed down during the year.
Slaughter of Animals.
There are in the Borough no slaughterhouses where animals are killed for human consumption
but there is a knacker's yard in the grounds of the Zoological Society of London, who are licensed by
the Council for the slaughter of animals for feeding purposes. Ten inspections were made during the
year.
St. Marylebone Clean Food Association.
The Executive Committee of the Association (Chairman: Mr. D. W. Moeran, Hon. Secretary:
Mr. P. Phillips, Hon. Treasurer: Mr. W. Bragg) have kindly provided the following information
which is extracted from their report for the year 1958/59:-
"Membership of the Association.
The total number of members of the Association is 160, nine being on probation, the businesses
having changed hands. Six members have resigned or otherwise left the Association during the
past year owing to retirement, death, or removal from the district.
Mass Radiography.
In view of the difficulties the catering industry experiences in having employees X-rayed during
working hours (this applies particularly to small businesses) the Medical Director of the Mass X-ray
Unit arranged in October for a special survey for catering staff employed in the Borough of St.
Marylebone. Dr. Briscoe-Smith asked the Association to support this project and a letter was
sent to all members urging them to grant facilities for their staff to participate.