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Gardies now has a five star hygiene rating

A slight improvement from their one star rating

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Last year, The Gardenia received a mere one star hygiene rating. The inspector found a staggering 34 problems with the restaurant’s hygiene standards, and told them that they needed to improve "immediately".

The report stated, among other things, that staff needed serious hygiene training. An example for this was that the chef did not clean or disinfect the sink after washing raw chicken in it, and proceeded to wash and store other equipment there. Another member of staff was reported to blow her nose, pick her eyes, and then handle food with no hand washing in between.

Owner Vasilis Anasatasiou claimed that “unfortunate events” with regards to the restaurant were to blame for this poor rating. He also said that "my pride really was on the line, everyone know Gardenia and I couldn't face people at that time”.

One year later, and it is new story altogether. After a surprise food inspection last month, Gardies was awarded a hygiene rating of five stars out of five.

Reportedly this is due to the owner investing a lot more money into the business this year. He has also sent his staff “back to school to get health and safety certificates”, and has decked out the kitchen with new and improved cooking equipment.

The owner of The Gardenina is very happy with the result. Anasatasiou has commented "it wasn't easy but we did what they told us to do and more. The health inspector says we've done the impossible by turning it around, and now I'm proud again."

What a result. Now we can eat those 3am post-club cheesy chips without the underlying fear of imminent food poisoning. In fact, with a five out of five hygiene rating, Gardies is well on its way to becoming a Michelin star institution.