The capital of the UK is known for its massive selection of high quality food establishments, and offers one of the most diverse ranges in all of Europe. London is the place to be for any aspiring chef or restaurant manager, and it sets the standard for the rest of the country when it comes to food.
However, that doesn’t mean everything is kept clean and safe behind the scenes. In our experience, many restaurant managers rely on the high demand in the capital to keep them busy while avoiding essential cleaning and cutting corners on hygiene standards. While providing deep cleaning services for commercial kitchens over the years, we’ve discovered some shocking risks that business owners didn’t even know about.
In fact, many people are shocked by some of the low standards of food safety which have been witnessed in many of London’s commercial kitchens, and there is plenty more evidence to back up the horror stories. Over five thousand food service businesses in the city require either “major” or “urgent” improvement in the field of food hygiene and safety according to their FSA ratings. These include canteens, cafes and takeaways as well as restaurants and hotels expected to enforce much higher standards.
It’s understandable that the owners and managers of these types of businesses are under a lot of pressure, especially being based in London where costs and expectations are particularly high. However, this is no excuse to sacrifice food safety standards.
The consequences of being caught out in a large-scale health and safety scandal could be catastrophic for most businesses, and legal bills alone could bankrupt many of these. However, the most likely result of low standards is being hit with a low rating from the FSA. The results of this, over time, can be just as devastating.
There is plenty of data to show that most people won’t give businesses with sub-par safety ratings a second chance, which is no surprise when you consider the alternative options they have, in London especially. In fact, the number one priority for customers choosing where to eat is officially food hygiene, so it’s safe to say restaurant managers should think twice before letting standards slip.
