Some Maidstone restaurants are showing the wrong food hygiene rating

KentOnline / KMTV

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00:00It's a scheme designed to help you make informed choices about where to eat or shop for food,

00:05but can you trust the ratings displayed in the window? Our investigation in Maidstone

00:10Town Centre uncovered discrepancies with only one business with a lower rating displaying

00:15the correct score. You've probably all seen these stickers before. It's the rating which

00:22the local authority inspectors have given a food outlet. It's between zero and five,

00:27five being the best, zero being the lowest. However, did you know it's not against the

00:32law for businesses to display an old rating or an incorrect rating which might be higher

00:38than they actually have? At the start of December, 22 outlets in Maidstone Town Centre

00:44had a food hygiene rating of three or below. We found 12 of these businesses displaying no

00:50rating at all, seven showing an inflated score, and two claiming they were awaiting inspection

00:57when they weren't. Altogether, 95% of these businesses were not displaying their most

01:03recent certificate. This local chippy prides itself on its constant five-star rating.

01:09The owners say the inaccuracies we found are making a mockery of the system.

01:14Personally, I think that's outrageous. I think to deceive the public is really wrong,

01:19and it kind of puts down the fact that we have a five-star, we work hard to keep that five-star.

01:25So, for us, it's part of our everyday routine. An inspector can come any time they want. It's

01:31not a problem at all. It's part of our everyday routine that we uphold temperature checks,

01:37food probes, calibrations, etc. So, that's how we do things here.

01:42There are growing calls for England to follow Wales and Northern Ireland, where displaying

01:47accurate ratings is mandatory. It's thought that this change could prevent more than 4,000

01:52cases of food-borne illnesses annually. Reacting to our findings, Maidstone Borough Council says

01:58it supports tougher enforcement measures, but do potential customers in the town

02:03care that incorrect ratings are on display? I do look at what's being served,

02:09so like anything concerning hygiene, I think we really need to take it seriously.

02:14Is it not against the law? Yeah, I am surprised. It's never occurred to me,

02:18because I just naturally think they're good hygiene because they're on their shelves.

02:22I care about them, but I don't look at them to register what they are. It's not a case of,

02:28oh, the rating there is five, we'll go in there. It's best to share that and to let people know

02:33whether it's a four rating or even a five rating. It's the same aspect as if you were to go in a

02:38hotel. Because of my stomach problem, I'm quite fussy and certain things I can't eat, so I have

02:45to look for those things. If you show me where it is, I'll go in another month. So, who are the

02:51businesses displaying incorrect ratings? Maidstone Coffee and Tea House displayed a five-star

02:56certificate, despite having a rating of one. They told us they will remove their sign immediately,

03:02pointing out that the sign is no longer there. Palito's Smashed Burgers displayed a five-star

03:08rating, where their current score is two. They told us they previously held a five,

03:12but following an inspection this summer, they dropped and they're working to get that rating

03:17reinstated. Chunky Sandwich Bar had a three-star rating, but displayed an outdated certificate,

03:24saying this was an oversight and they've removed stickers from the outside windows,

03:28but a sign that's seen on a drinks cabinet had been brought in from a separate location,

03:33and that sticker has now been removed. Wingo's Chicken Shop displayed a four-star certificate

03:38when its ranking was three. The management dismissed the issue, saying it's not a big deal

03:43with everything online. They also say the sign belonged to a previous owner.

03:47Akin's Food also displayed a four-star rating when its score was three. The business stated

03:52they were awaiting reinspection, but hadn't yet occurred. Now, the following businesses did not

03:58respond to multiple requests for comments. Kent International Food Centre displays a four-star

04:03certificate, despite a rating of two. This Bulgarian restaurant displays a five-star

04:07certificate, whilst holding a rating of three. This Vietnamese street food business, and also

04:13Pepe's Peri Peri Chicken, are both displaying an awaiting inspection sticker. It's understood

04:19that Pepe's will be reinspected soon. To me, it is cheating. It's trying to

04:24fool on the public. Those with the lower scores, particularly the very low scores, the zeros,

04:29the ones, and twos, they basically have some major issues in terms of the ability to keep

04:35their premises as they should be in terms of safety. Chris, as somebody living in Northern

04:42Ireland, where displaying ratings is mandatory, do you think that's working? I have never found

04:47a business to display the wrong score, and we have the highest rating across the whole of the UK.

04:54It just shows, when it is compulsory, businesses actually see it as an opportunity, something that

05:00they have to do, because the business is next door, and the next door to that, they'll have

05:04the four and five-star ratings. In Wales and Northern Ireland, businesses can be fined for

05:09displaying incorrect ratings. The system has proven effective, with record numbers of businesses

05:14achieving higher scores. Whilst the government did not respond to our request for comments,

05:19both the Food Standard Agency and local authorities confirmed that displaying an

05:23incorrect rating could amount to breaching trading standards laws. Gabriel Morris, in Maidstone.

05:34you

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