UNCOMMON GROUNDS - PUBLIC GARDENS
5700 SPRING GARDEN, HALIFAX · Food Establishment
Inspection summary
UNCOMMON GROUNDS - PUBLIC GARDENS has been inspected 5 times by Nova Scotia Environment and Climate Change (Food Safety Program) since July 3, 2024. The most recent inspection, on June 15, 2026, found no infractions.
2 of 5 inspections on record found no infractions at all. In the past 12 months there were 2 inspections with 2 infractions recorded. The higher-risk findings here relate to: Cleaning and sanitizing, Protecting food from contamination and Food temperature control.
The number of infractions per inspection has stayed roughly the same over time.
What these findings mean
Health authorities word their violations differently, so we group them by what they mean for food safety. Higher-risk findings are the ones inspectors treat as critical, because they can directly make someone sick.
Cleaning and sanitizingHigher risk
Anything that touches food, such as cutting boards, dishes and utensils, must be washed, rinsed and sanitized. Inspectors check dishwasher temperatures, sanitizer strength and how wiping cloths are stored. Poor sanitizing lets bacteria survive from one use to the next.
Recorded 4 times across 2 separate inspections, most recently on May 28, 2026. For example:
29(2)(a) A maintenance, cleaning and sanitation program must include procedures to ensure that all of the following are done: (a) the food establishment and equipment are maintained, cleaned and sanitized;
Protecting food from contaminationHigher risk
This covers how food is stored, prepared and displayed: raw meat kept away from ready-to-eat food, food covered and stored off the floor, and nothing dripping or splashing into it. Cross-contamination from raw to cooked food is a direct route for salmonella and E. coli.
Recorded once on July 7, 2025. For example:
27(c) A food establishment must develop and demonstrate policies and procedures for personnel that ensure that a person entering a food handling area or engaging in an operation in a food establishment who comes into contact with food meets all of the following: (c) the person takes adequate measures to prevent food from being contaminated by hair;
Food temperature controlHigher risk
Bacteria multiply fastest between about 4 °C and 60 °C (40 °F to 140 °F). Inspectors check that cold food stays cold, hot food stays hot, cooked food is cooled quickly, and that staff have accurate thermometers. Temperature problems are one of the most common causes of food poisoning, so these are treated as critical findings.
Recorded once on July 7, 2025. For example:
33(1) An operator must ensure that the temperature of food is controlled so that the food does not deteriorate or become inedible or unsafe.
Permits, records and postingLower risk
Operating permits, required signage, written procedures and logs. These findings are administrative: the documentation was missing or out of date at the time of inspection.
Recorded 2 times across 2 separate inspections, most recently on July 7, 2025. For example:
8(2) A permit must be posted in a conspicuous location in the food establishment.
About this data
These results come from Nova Scotia Environment and Climate Change (Food Safety Program), which inspects food premises and other public facilities in this area. We republish the authority's public disclosure data and refresh it regularly; the official record is the final word.
5 inspections
- Inspection
0 infractions
- Inspection
2 infractions
- 29(2)(a) A maintenance, cleaning and sanitation program must include procedures to ensure that all of the following are done:
(a) the food establishment and equipment are maintained, cleaned and sanitized;
- Clean and sanitize the surfaces and areas identified at the time of inspection.
- 29(3) A food establishment must provide facilities and equipment to implement the maintenance, cleaning and sanitation program and must identify in their program the cleaning and sanitizing agents used in the food establishment, including their concentration and uses.
- Ensure approved food contact surface sanitizer is available and appropriate apparatus is provided to use it.
- 29(2)(a) A maintenance, cleaning and sanitation program must include procedures to ensure that all of the following are done:
(a) the food establishment and equipment are maintained, cleaned and sanitized;
- Inspection
3 infractions
- 27(c) A food establishment must develop and demonstrate policies and procedures for personnel that ensure that a person entering a food handling area or engaging in an operation in a food establishment who comes into contact with food meets all of the following:
(c) the person takes adequate measures to prevent food from being contaminated by hair;
- Observed food handler wearing her hair down. Food handler tied her hair back at this time.
- 33(1) An operator must ensure that the temperature of food is controlled so that the food does not deteriorate or become inedible or unsafe.
- Observed samosas being stored at room temperature. Samosas were placed in a fridge that was maintaining a temp of 4C or less at this time.
- 8(2) A permit must be posted in a conspicuous location in the food establishment.
- Observed the permit not being posted. Post permit in a conspicuous location in the food establishment.
- 27(c) A food establishment must develop and demonstrate policies and procedures for personnel that ensure that a person entering a food handling area or engaging in an operation in a food establishment who comes into contact with food meets all of the following:
(c) the person takes adequate measures to prevent food from being contaminated by hair;
- Inspection
0 infractions
- Inspection
3 infractions
- 29(2)(a) A maintenance, cleaning and sanitation program must include procedures to ensure that all of the following are done:
(a) the food establishment and equipment are maintained, cleaned and sanitized;
- Observed debris on the floor under the single door prep fridge. Clean floor.
- 29(3) A food establishment must provide facilities and equipment to implement the maintenance, cleaning and sanitation program and must identify in their program the cleaning and sanitizing agents used in the food establishment, including their concentration and uses.
- Observed no sanitizer for food contact surfaces. Provide a sanitizer for food contact surfaces. A food safe sanitizer can be made by mixing 1/2 teaspoon of bleach with 1L of water.
- 8(2) A permit must be posted in a conspicuous location in the food establishment.
- Observed permit not being posted in a conspicuous location. Post permit in a conspicuous location within the establishment.
- 29(2)(a) A maintenance, cleaning and sanitation program must include procedures to ensure that all of the following are done:
(a) the food establishment and equipment are maintained, cleaned and sanitized;