My daughter told me recently that I was wrong defrosting meat roasts from the freezer on the bench in the open air. I have done this all my married life and there has never been a problem. Of course, I always cover the meat up from flies etc when it’s being defrosted. Is my daughter correct? She works in a restaurant.
The Ministry of Health says that defrosting meat in the open is not recommended because pathogens on the surface can multiply at room temperature before the food is defrosted at the centre. I have to say that I have always defrosted large roasts out on the bench and so did my mum. I don’t recall any sickness because of it either.
But the ministry, and many other food experts, say “no” to defrosting in the open. They recommend you defrost food in the refrigerator, the microwave or water (though the sink must be clean and meat preferably in a wrapping such as cling film). It seems the fridge is safest, though it can take up to three days to defrost that way. What to do? Well, I’m going to stick my neck out and say that I will continue to defrost my frozen roasts, well covered, on the bench. But I’m not going to recommend that. After all, the Ministry of Health knows more about food safety than I do.
Are restaurants allowed by law to add a service charge to their bill? I don’t mean the charge some places enforce on public holidays to help pay higher staff costs. I mean a standard charge in lieu of tipping.
This is an interesting one. Various websites advise visitors to New Zealand that tipping is not expected and service fees in restaurants are not added to the bill. But that’s not the same as saying a restaurant would be breaking the law if it did charge a service fee.
The Commerce Commission’s view is that if restaurants charge a standard service fee, say an extra 10% on top of the food bill, diners have to be made aware of it by way of signs etc, before they eat. My view is that even if it’s legal to ask for a service fee, it may also be legal to refuse to pay it.
I know that in the UK these service fees are fairly common. You have to watch out there because restaurants will not only charge the fee but encourage tipping as well. However, diners in the UK are under no legal obligation to pay the service fee if the service is poor. I refused and no-one argued.
I suspect that the same would apply here. So this is one of those situations which needs clarification in court. In the meantime, I wouldn’t pay any restaurant service fee at all if I felt the service wasn’t great, even if the restaurant said it was compulsory.
