The most unhygienic areas to eat out in London are revealed today — with Tower Hamlets home to the highest number of filthy restaurants and takeaways.
A total of 294 — more than 10 per cent — in the East End borough have hygiene ratings of one or zero, meaning inspectors found “urgent or major” improvements were needed in the way food was stored, prepared or cooked.
Eighteen outlets in Brick Lane alone fall foul of inspectors — including the Cereal Killer Cafe, which has a one-star rating.
Experts found the venue, which recently announced plans to sell cereal in hollowed out avocado skins, needs “major improvement” to “ensure food sold or served is safe to eat”.
As part of its “scores on the doors” system the Food Standards Agency (FSA) rates establishments from zero to five in three categories: hygienic food handling, management of food safety, and cleanliness and condition of facilities.
A Tower Hamlets council spokeswoman said 84 per cent of food premises in the borough score three or more, adding: “Tower Hamlets has a higher number of food businesses than neighbouring boroughs, the majority of which are compliant with good food hygiene.”
Cereal Killer Cafe’s owner Alan Keery said its last two inspections resulted in one-star ratings because of a leaky kitchen roof.
He said: “We had the rating when we relocated to our new Brick Lane site, and due to a leak when the premises was vacant, it caused the kitchen ceiling to crack. This was resolved and we are waiting on a new inspection.”
Three other London boroughs have more than 200 outlets with a zero or one-star rating: 269 in Croydon (12 per cent of venues); 228 in Ealing (11 per cent); and 219 in Camden (eight per cent). Across the capital, almost 3,400 fall into the bottom two categories.
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Michelin-star rated Kai Mayfair, which has been voted London’s best Chinese restaurant several times, had a one-star rating, with the FSA calling for improvement in the “hygienic handling of food including preparation”.
Owner Bernard Yeoh said: “It was very disappointing. We introduced an experimental water-bath cooking technique and when you’re trying anything new or something inspectors might not see, often you need a lot of documentation. This has all been sorted.”
A new inspection this week rated Kai Mayfair with three stars.
The cleanest boroughs were Sutton — just 17 out of 679 venues need major improvement. In Kensington and Chelsea just 26, fewer than 1 in 60 venues, rank under two stars. Hammersmith and Fulham, Kingston, Haringey, Bexley, Richmond and Merton all have fewer than 50 needing urgent work.
It is a legal requirement for food businesses in Wales and Northern Ireland to display their rating and the FSA wants to introduce the same law in the UK.
