Ealing Restaurant Hygiene Ratings Now Online

But we're left wondering what's the score...

From Michelin starred restaurants (not too many yet in Ealing) to the local café, food hygiene inspection results from 80,000 of London’s eateries are now available to the public.

This sounds useful, but the reality of the new website is less than ideal. Firstly, it is extremely difficult to access the information and secondly, many establishments are not listed. The information on the site for each borough is supplied by the council's Environmental Health Department and it is baffling that some of Ealing's busiest venues do not appear on the list.

The London Scores on the doors scheme is billed as listing almost every restaurant and food outlet in the participating boroughs rated according to their latest food hygiene inspection reports, enabling consumers to make informed choices about where to eat.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) supported pilot will unite a number of existing schemes in London into what it calls a 'consistent, consumer friendly, easy to access website': www.yourlondon.gov.uk/foodscores. However, as yet the search facility is not working properly and it is quite difficult to access information - even if it is there in the first place.

Notable omissions from the establishments listed in Ealing include the North China restaurant, Charlotte's Place, Papaya, Carluccios, Farm W5, La Tasca, The Grange, Manana, Munsons, Kiraku. Let's stop there although there are many more.

Food outlets will be rated between zero and five stars. A two star rating is defined as largely compliant with national requirements. Restaurants which fail to meet this standard are advised on how to improve and, where necessary, could be subject to enforcement action.

Joie de Vivre scored 3 (Good level of legal compliance. Some more effort might be required), where the Tandoori Villa was marked only 2 as was Osteria del Portico (Broadly compliant with food safety legislation. More effort required to meet all legal requirements). The New Leaf received an unsurprising 1 - 'poor' rating (much more effort required). Ealing Park Tavern, Gourmet Burger Kitchen, The Green Cafe, and KFC Express all scored 4 (Good food safety management. High standard of compliance with food safety legislation).

Leon Cafe obtained nul points (Very poor: A general failure to comply with legal requirements. Little or no appreciation of food safety. Major effort required.) as did the The Hungry One.

Those with children in local nurseries and schools may be interested to know that Notting Hill and Ealing School scored 4 as did Drayton Green Primary School, Happy Child Nursery 3 and Ellen Wilkinson and Fielding Primary School were awarded only 2.

If it's a 5-star rated establishment you're after in Ealing for food hygiene, it's off to Tesco Metro or Burger King you should go.

In addition to the website, businesses are being issued with a certificate and window sticker with their star rating on. Currently display is voluntary, but discussions are taking place to make it a legal requirement in London for a business to display its star rating.

Strong public interest in kitchen cleanliness and the desire to drive up food hygiene standards has led to the London-wide pilot, which joins funded pilots in the Midlands and Scotland.

As there are a number of different schemes in operation currently, the FSA has commissioned independent evaluation, with the aim of declaring a preferred national scheme at the earliest opportunity.

CIEH Principal Policy Officer Jenny Morris said, “We are delighted consumers will be able to exercise choice about where to eat, based not only on the menu but also on how conscientious the restaurants are in maintaining hygiene.

“The London scheme will provide an opportunity for the public to access information all in one place, and in a consistent format. Importantly, it will recognise those businesses which work hard to maintain good standards and for others it should drive improvements, which is an outcome we are all seeking”

Supported by the CIEH, the FSA, the Greater London Assembly (GLA), London Councils, the consumer group Which?, London Connects - a pan London agency delivering improved public services through the use of technology - and the Association of London Environmental Health Managers (ALEHM) the public information website can be found at: www.yourlondon.gov.uk/foodscores.

Head of Strategy and Policy Branch at the FSA, Nathan Philippo said, "The Food Standards Agency is pleased to be working with local authorities across the country to deliver scores on the doors. We see increased consumer awareness as a key tool in the future of local authority
engagement with businesses."

Peter Williams Deputy CEO of London Connects said, “This pan London web service demonstrates London’s local authorities’ commitment to keep their customers informed of topics that matter to them. Delivering information locally and across London has resulted in authorities working together for a common cause – shared information and developing a common environmental health practice across London – a benefit to all.”

Participating boroughs include Ealing, Hounslow, Wandsworth, Hammersmith & Fulham and Richmond.

October 10, 2007