Hyde Park’s worst restaurants and shops for hygiene
A mouldy ice machine, a lack of hand washing, the improper storage of cooked food and inaccurate allergen information.
These are just some of the issues that inspectors have discovered during visits to restaurants and convenience stores across Hyde Park.
The Food Standards Agency, who check if food providers produce food that is safe to eat, considers the cleanliness of the premises, the type of food they make, how they work and how they attempt to reduce risks. They have the right to enter and inspect food premises at all reasonable hours and will typically come without notice.
They rank all businesses with a score of zero to five. Between zero and two is considered a failing grade, and three to five is satisfactory.
Whilst the rating they give is public, the inspection reports are hidden and have to be requested which The Gryphon has done for the worst performing restaurants and shops in Hyde Park.
One-star ratings
Chicken Stop
The fast food takeaway which is located next to The Hyde Park Picture House was last inspected on 2 February 2023.
It was awarded a one-star rating, meaning major improvements are needed.
The inspection report said the business was failing to refrigerate high-risk food such as open sauce bottles and cheese at the right temperature.
It said the kitchen floor was “ingrained with dirt” and the walls and ceiling were covered in grease. It recommended that the wash hand basins were cleaned and kept from obstruction and said the fridges and freezers also needed to be cleaned.
Rustica
The Italian takeaway, which is located opposite the University of Leeds Parkinson Building, was last inspected on 6 June 2023.
They, again, were told major improvement was required. Food was found stored uncovered in fridges and freezers, including some in tin cans.
The surfaces in the kitchen were “generally dusty” and the business was told to clean the cooking canopy, the floor under and behind the fryers and the inside of the fridges. They were also told to immediately repair the leaking waste pipe connected to the wash hand basin.
The temperature of the water for that basin was found to be too cold and the basin itself needed to be cleaned according to the report.
The food hygiene knowledge of the staff was found to be poor, with training required. There was also no allergen management procedure which the inspectors had already requested the last time they visited.
Noshi Foods
The convenience store located next to the Leeds Grand Mosque was last inspected on 8 November 2022.
They were warned to stop storing ready-to-eat food next to raw meat in the cold room.
They were also told to clean the inside of the cold room, with the inspector finding “mouldy walls” and dirty ceilings as well as a “filthy” fan unit.
They were told to ensure that the butchery wash hand basin had hot water and asked to train staff on food hygiene.
Two-star ratings
La Besi Restaurant
The Italian restaurant which allows customers to bring their own booze is located opposite the University of Leeds School of Chemical and Process Engineering.
The business was found to be failing to cool cooked food quickly enough and inside the fridge, raw meat was found stored above cooked food.
Food was found stored in open tin cans which poses a risk that chemicals from the can could contaminate the food.
The staff were found to be washing their hands in the equipment sink, which goes against the procedure.
“Mould and bacterial growth” was seen inside the ice machine and the bar glass washer also required cleaning.
The kitchen floor, walls and ceiling were covered in grease and the business was slammed for having incorrect allergen information displayed on their house salad.
Go Gold Local
The convenience store which is attached to the student accommodation building Marsden House and opposite The Tannery was last inspected on 24 August 2022.
No hot water was provided in the hand wash basin and food was found stored on the floor.
An employee was unable to explain the fitness to work requirements which requires that employees who handle food and have suffered from infection don’t return to work for at least 48 hours after their symptoms stop.
