10% of London food venues require food hygiene improvements

Westminster had the most food venues requiring improvement with 614 (13.2% of the borough's total eating establishments). Next was Ealing with 414 (15%) followed by Camden with 404 (14.1%), Tower Hamlets with 358 (13.3%) and Hackney with 308 (12.1%), according to union GMB London.

On the back of these findings, GMB London has called for it to be mandatory that food hygiene ratings from the Food Standards Agency must be displayed at food-serving businesses.​

Pubs in Wales and Northern Ireland are already legally required to display their ratings but businesses in England do not.

Right to know

GMB London secretary Warren Kenny said consumers had a right to know the hygiene standard at places they eat.

He added: “GMB considers that all food premises in England should be forced to display ‘Scores on the Doors’ ratings to improve hygiene standards and protect people from harm.

“These scores are the results of inspections by local authority environmental health teams. They score food outlets from zero to five based on factors such as cleanliness, cooking methods and food management.

“Outlets inspected include restaurants, pubs, cafés, takeaways, sandwich shops, supermarkets and delicatessens. Consumers have an absolute right to know what score any outlet they may want to use has got.

Kenny also highlighted how making pubs and other food-serving venues display their ratings would improve or maintain their high hygiene standards.

Incentivise food outlets

He added: “Food outlets in Wales and Northern Ireland are legally required to display their rating. However, in England, outlets do not have to display the rating they have been awarded.

“Those scoring low marks are much less likely to put them on show to customers. Whether it is the 614 food establishments in Westminster or the one in five chance of visiting a potentially dirty or unsafe kitchen in Newham, the public should have a right to know the score.

“Food hygiene standards and compliance levels have risen since the scheme was introduced in Wales. Making the display of hygiene ratings on the door compulsory in England would incentivise food outlets to improve or maintain high hygiene standards.

“This would reduce the risk of illness for customers, improve customer confidence and save taxpayers’ money by reducing the need for, and cost of, enforcement action by councils. Everyone wins.”