Chester restaurants given no stars for hygiene

Mar 6 2009 by Laurie Stocks-Moore, Chester Chronicle

FOUR city centre restaurants have been given no stars for hygiene by environmental health inspectors.

They were found to be performing below expected standards during inspections last year.

The online compilation of food hygiene ratings, www.scoresonthedoors.org.uk, bases its findings on confidence in management, hygiene and safety and structure.

With food retailers awarded zero to five stars, four in Chester were awarded none.

Before coming under new ownership, Meze Bar and Restaurant on Eastgate Row North, was visited on September 9, 2008, by officers and criticised for poor hygiene and safety, failure to satisfy statutory obligations and inpectors said they had little confidence in management.

Environmental health officer Mark Green says Meze is now under different ownership and he expects its rating to improve.

He added: “I’ve given them a schedule of what they need to do. I’m sure it won’t be no stars when we go next.”

Meze is joined on the list by City Gate Indian restaurant on Bridge Street. Inspectors had no confidence in management when they visited on July 8 and found a poor record of compliance, little or no technical knowledge and little or no appreciation of hazards or quality control.

Spice Balti, on Brook Street, had its standards reviewed on March 19 while Blue Sky, Kingsway, Chester was subject to an inspection on January 21 last year.

They were both found to be guilty of some major non-compliance with statutory obligations and were told more effort was required to prevent a fall in standards.

Mr Green stressed restaurants awarded no stars may well have improved since their inspection after receiving advice from Environmental Health.