A pop-up food stall at the Swindon Designer Outlet has been slapped with an emergency prohibition order after “major” safety concerns were raised.

Dark Bark BBQ Ltd, which operates outside the outlet centre, was found to be selling “high-risk” food using an improvised sous vide machine.

The discovery was made during an unannounced visit from Swindon Borough Council’s Environmental Health Team, who immediately prohibited the process.

A court has since granted a Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Order which prevents the business from using this method of cooking.

A sous vide cooking method involves vacuum sealed plastic pouches being cooked at low temperatures, for long periods, and needs to be carefully controlled.

Council inspectors raised “major concerns” over the safety of the food products customers were served.

This included products which are defined by inspectors as high risk, such as pulled pork, beef brisket and macaroni cheese.

A spokesperson said: “The pouches of food being reheated were of differing sizes and weights, meaning they would reheat at different times and there were no procedures in place to show how this was being safely managed.

“Some of the pouches were also not fully submerged, meaning that the food would take longer to reheat, resulting in the food spending longer in the temperature zone where food poisoning bacteria can multiply.

“As a result, the Council’s Environmental Health Team immediately prohibited the process.”

The council added that they were not aware the sous vide method was being employed by the stall, and that its operation has “changed significantly” from when it was last inspected in April 2022.

Dark Bark BBQ failed to notify the authority of this significant change, something which is required by law.

The business also failed to register following its incorporation as a limited company and concerns were raised over the lack of safety documentation in relation to the operation of the machine.

Inspectors found that the machine used for cooking food products “consisted of a large, uninsulated plastic storage container, with a poorly fitting lid and two thermostatic heating elements.”

Despite the temperature being below seven degrees on the day of the inspection, equipment was located on the ground within a gazebo.

The council explained that a specialist commercial unit would require a stirrer to ensure the temperature is the same throughout the water, a properly fitting lid and a rack for separation of the packed foods.

Dark Bark BBQ must satisfy inspectors they can carry out this method safely before being able to use it again.