East London food stalls, cafes and cafeteria hygiene deficiencies
Six food companies in east London failed their food hygiene inspections in the past week – including a school cafeteria.
Grocery stores, from chicken shops to Chinese takeaways to kebab bars, cafes and even a school cafeteria, have received food hygiene ratings of just one in five from the council’s food safety officers.
All six facilities are located in the Waltham Forest borough:
- Chicken and Grill in Main Street, Leyton.
- Khan G Kebabish on Lea Bridge Road, Leyton.
- Happy Valley in Richmond Road, Leytonstone.
- Armstrong Audio Coffee on Blackhorse Lane, Walthamstow.
- Ricco’s Cafe on the High Street in Walthamstow.
- Olive Dining at Walthamstow School for Girls in Church Hill, Walthamstow.
One in five hygiene ratings – the second worst rating – is labeled “Major Improvement Needed”.
Surprisingly, Olive Dining at Walthamstow School for Girls was rated five points with the highest possible score following its previous inspection in 2018.
The elementary and secondary school catering company, which provides services to nearly 30 schools, has four and five ratings at all other schools, including the Buxton School in Leytonstone and the Chingford Foundation School.
Ricco’s Café and Armstrong Audio Coffee also fell dramatically in terms of ratings, having received four ratings in 2018.
Khan G Kebabish and Happy Valley have failed hygiene ratings in the past – three of them are considered passable (generally satisfactory).
Khan G Kebabish was rated zero in 2019 and upgraded to a value of 1 in 2020, where it remains after the final inspection.
Happy Valley was rated two in 2018, dropped to one in January of that year, and was again rated one after an inspection in March.
When inspecting a company’s premises, the food safety officers check three criteria:
- Hygienic handling of food
- Cleanliness and condition of the facilities and the building
- Managing food and systems to ensure the food served is safe to eat
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