London has the worst average food hygiene rating in the UK, and if each borough was classified as a town it would win the three least hygienic spots nationally.
Analysis of nearly 36,000 food outlets food standard agency’s ratings by High Speed Training gave London an average of 4.36 out of five compared to the South West of England at 4.66.
Kensington and Chelsea had the highest rating at 4.8 out five whereas Walthamstow Forest had the lowest rating in the UK at 3.74, closely followed by Ealing at 3.92 and Barking and Dagenhgam at 3.95.
The biggest improver in London was Redbridge, which improved their rating by 0.14 to 4.38 and Westminster placed 11 with an average score of 4.43.
Dr Richard Anderson, head of learning and development at high speed training said: “For businesses that perform well, a high rating is a real selling point.
“However, establishments with a low hygiene rating can be extremely off-putting for customers, which ultimately have a significant impact on reputation and profitability.”
The report scrutinized more than 215,000 food businesses across England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.
Nearly a quarter of London takeaways scored three or below at 23%, whereas 92% of hotels, B&Bs and guest houses scored above four.
The report found that 186 London eateries scored zero, and 802 scored one on their hygiene rating.
Dr Anderson highlighted the importance of cleanliness in these matters.
He said: “Recently we have seen many high profile cases of food poisoning and illness from food borne bacteria.
“This is why food hygiene ratings are so important – they are a direct reflection of how safely and hygienically that establishment operates and are of critical importance to consumers.”
Ratings are given based on the standard of food handling hygiene, the physical condition of the premises and facilities and food safety management practices.
In Wales and Scotland it is compulsory for premises to publicly display their rating, whereas in England it is considered best practice.
There have been a few instances in London of eateries displaying high scores, when they have a score of under two out of five so be careful.
Dr Anderson said: “We would also urge customers to check the food hygiene ratings of establishments they wish to dine at, so that an informed call as to whether you eat there can be made.”
Nationally, the South West scored the highes and Southport was the highest scoring town with 4.91.
Waltham Forest Councilor Khevyn Limbajee told the Evening Standard that the council has a zero tolerance policy to sub par food hygiene.
She said: “The safety and wellbeing of customers at Waltham Forest restaurants and food outlets is our top priority.
“We close and prosecute about 50 business a year due to poor hygiene, food safety management and pest problems – historically, this is more than most other London boroughs.
“We always encourage people to check an outlet’s food hygiene rating before they dine using the Food Standards Agency website.
“We support calls to make displaying food hygiene ratings mandatory in food businesses, as is the case in Wales.”
Photo by Megan Thomas on Unsplash
