REVEALED: Bolton's takeaway food hygiene ratings January 2021

Four restaurants and takeaways in Bolton have a food hygiene score of zero according to latest figures.

Food hygiene ratings give a snapshot of an establishment’s standards at the time of an inspection - with the Food Standards Agency (FSA) saying it is businesses’ responsibility to comply with those standards at all times.

If hygiene is very good and the business fully complies with the law, five is the top of the scale and the highest score they can achieve. They must do well in three areas: how hygienically the food is handled; the physical condition of the business and how the business manages ways of keeping food safe, such as processes, training and systems to ensure good hygiene is maintained.

A zero indicates failures across all three areas.

READ MORE > REVEALED: Bolton's takeaway food hygiene ratings January 2021

READ MORE > EXPLAINED: How Food Standards Agency hygiene ratings are worked out

READ MORE > Vast majority of Bolton's eateries have good hygiene rating

READ MORE > All the five star takeaways and restaurants in Bolton

READ MORE > All the four star takeaways and restaurants in Bolton

READ MORE > All the three star takeaways and restaurants in Bolton

READ MORE > All the two star takeaways and restaurants in Bolton

READ MORE > All the one star takeaways and restaurants in Bolton

READ MORE > All the zero star takeaways and restaurants in Bolton

If businesses are awarded a score lower than five, the local authority officer will explain what action they can take to improve.

Businesses have to apply to be rated again prior to the next scheduled inspection, so even if the improvements are made, this may not be immediately reflected in their score with many restaurants and takeaways currently waiting for new inspections which have been put on hold due to COVID-19.

Businesses in Wales and Northern Ireland are now legally required to display their ratings in a prominent place, such as the front door, entrance or window of the premises. Display became mandatory in Wales in November 2013 and in Northern Ireland in October 2016. In England businesses are encouraged but not yet required by law to display their rating.

Only one restaurant in Bolton was given a zero score following an inspection in 2020 - Kohinoor Restaurant and Takeaway on Derby Street.

The restaurant was handed a one star rating back in March with owner Yasar Arivegan saying: “We’ve made a lot of changes and we have contacted the food hygiene team to have another inspection.”

A further inspection took place on October 19 this year with Kohinoor subsequently rated zero.

Three other food outlets remain with zero ratings following inspections in 2019: Chop Suey Bar on Plodder Lane, Farnworth, Nkono in Bolton Market, and Wesley’s on Bradshawgate.

Overall, 26 restaurants, cafes and takeaways in Bolton hold a food hygiene rating of one, with only eight receiving their inspections this year.

The most recently inspected businesses are Syd’s on Derby Street, which was visited on October 13 and River Star on Hindley Road, Westhoughton, which was visited on October 21.

The other outlets visited this year and given a rating of one were 24 Karat Chippy and Grill on Wigan Road, Bolton, Aroma on Deane Road, Bolton, Dragon Capital on Higher Market Street, Farnworth, Kurdistan Sweet Shop on Derby Street, Bolton, Shama Foods on Market Street, Farnworth, Spice India on St Helens Road, Bolton, Taste of China on Wigan Road, Bolton, and The Xhale Lounge on Gilnow Lane, Bolton.

In February, Aroma Restaurant was required to improve following its inspection, but owner Bilal Habib is hoping this will be changed.

He said: “Hopefully we will have another inspection soon, we have made a lot of improvements.”

The Food Standards Agency has adjusted its expectations of local authorities this year, recognising that food businesses categorised as lower risk could have their planned inspection delayed where local authority resources have been diverted to respond to the pandemic.

Heather Hancock, FSA Chair, said: “The Board recognises how challenging the situation has been for local authorities, and the unprecedented impact of the situation on them. It appreciates their efforts, while being concerned about the strain the system is under.

“The Board agreed that the effects of COVID-19 have given renewed impetus to our strategic drive for regulatory reform, and agreed that regulators should aim to work with businesses to draw assurance from their methods to reduce risk, rather than assuming that in all cases assurance can only be provided by onsite inspection at establishment level and to target scarce local authority resources where we believe that a premises-based inspection is the most effective way to mitigate risk, or where intelligence gathered requires a reactive local authority response.”

Last month marked the 10th birthday of the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) with Ms Hancock hailing the difference it had made to the nation’s health.

“The FHRS has delivered lasting benefits to consumers and to businesses, and is rightly celebrated as one of the country’s most significant public health achievements of the 21st century,” she said.

“The FHRS scheme depends on colleagues in local authorities, who check on food hygiene in more than 500,000 food premises across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. We are deeply indebted to them for the success of the scheme, and even more so this year as they’ve contended with rapid changes in food businesses’ arrangements and intense pressure on their own staff because of COVID-19.”