Fast food outlets in part of Croydon are among the worst in the country for hygiene standards, according to a report published today by the consumer watchdog, Which?
And don’t stray too far away across south London, because Bexley tops a league table for the dirtiest takeaways, with Kingston in second place.
A satisfactory rating is 3/5. Bexley scored 2.62, with food outlets in the SE25 postcode in Croydon, around Norwood Junction and Crystal Palace’s Selhurst Park ground, averaging only fractionally better, at 2.65.
The Which? investigation found Birmingham’s balti area was the best, with a top score of 4.9 and no premises rated below 3.
While many food outlets already display their hygiene ratings in their shop windows – obviously, those that have best practice – Which? is now calling for the law to be changed to make it obligatory so that customers can tell at a glance how clean the shops are.
“Our investigation shows that food hygiene is an unacceptable postcode lottery,” said Richard Lloyd of Which? “Diners shouldn’t be taking a risk with their health simply by choosing the wrong area in which to eat out.
“We want everywhere that serves food to the public to display their hygiene score prominently so people can make an informed choice.”
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- Food hygiene ‘a postcode lottery’ (bbc.co.uk)
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- Around half of takeaways and restaurants including Little Chef and La Tasca are failing to meet hygiene levels (dailymail.co.uk)