New data from the Food Standards Agency reveals that five takeaways in the Eastlondonline boroughs were given zero out of five for food hygiene following inspections.
Spice Fusion in Brockley is one of the restaurants to receive a zero rating following a visit by a Lewisham council food safety officer in July 2022.
According to a Lewisham council report, cockroaches were found crawling next to pipework and flooring next to food preparation areas. Mouse droppings were also found on the kitchen floor next to the freezer.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) sends out a local officer to inspect businesses’ hygiene practices. Takeaways are judged on the following: hygienic food handling, cleanliness and condition of facilities and building, and thirdly, management of food safety.
Requiring “major improvement necessary” on two or more of these categories can lead to a score of zero, which is described as ‘urgent improvement necessary’, according to the FSA.
Local takeaways with a zero rating are below:
Hazar Kebab, Croydon date of inspection: 6 January 2022 Pic: Google Street View, August 2022 
Phoenix Chinese Takeaway, Croydon date of inspection: 16 June 2022 Pic: Google Street View, August 2022 
Fantastic Morley Chicken, Lewisham date of inspection: 7 July 2022Pic: Morgan Ofori 
Spice Fusion, Lewisham date of inspection: 7 July 2022 Pic: Morgan Ofori 
Sang Lee, Tower Hamlets date of inspection: 5 July 2022 Pic: Morgan Ofori
In Hackney, there were no zero-rated takeaways. The lowest rated received a one, meaning major improvements are necessary.
A manager at one zero rated takeaway, who wished to remain anonymous, said the reason for low scores was due to financial pressures: “I am in an old building, business is slow, it is hard to use money to get new equipment, when the lease is up soon. Taste my food, if my food is not good, I will shut down!”
Marc Joseph, the owner of E3 Vegan in Tower Hamlets, which received the highest rating of five said that establishments awarded a zero or a one you shouldn’t be opened: “A lot of it is common sense, cleaning after customers and keeping records of hygiene checks that are easily accessible to inspectors. I must say it helps that we don’t have to deal with cross-contamination, being vegan makes things simpler.”
The 57-year-old opened the business earlier this year and said the kitchen is so new that “he would have been upset if he did not get a 5” when the food standards inspector came in February.
All the takeaways rated zero declined ELL’s request for comment. Hazar Kebab has recently been inspected again and is awaiting an updated rating.
