28 Leicester establishments score a ZERO hygiene rating

Mr. Gul Zada of Romario’s pizza, one of the 28 establishments awarded the mark of zero, said “we were under a different management at the time we were visited and it was a bit messed up basically”.

Defending the takeaway he added “We’ve got a new management in place and it’s all sorted” although he will have to wait until the next annual inspection for this to be confirmed.

Overall, the inspection found 350 takeaways, pubs and restaurants in Leicester that require vast improvements in basic hygiene procedures as set out by the Food Standards Agency; scoring an appalling two or less.

Leicester’s health inspection assessed various fundamental hygiene standards including how food is handled, prepared, cooked, re-heated, cooled and stored as well as the general cleanliness of the area and building.

But the dire results have prompted Leicester council’s health inspectors to warn many establishments to take urgent measures or risk closure and possible legal action.

Maryland chicken’s small monopoly around Leicester varied massively with their Granby Street branch achieving a slightly more positive “satisfactory” hygiene rating of three.

Another Maryland chicken, on Evington Road in the centre of town, close to popular clubs Republic and Mosh, failed several areas of the inspection and requires “urgent improvement’” with a score of just 1.

However, the Loaded Dog and the Dry Dock, both owned by Scream Pubs and popular with students, achieved greatly improved scores of 5 and 4 respectively.

The Loaded Dog, which sponsors and hosts many clubs including Ladies Hockey and Lacrosse, heeded its abysmal rating of 2 last year to earn the highest possible rating by the Food Standards Agency.

Maryland chicken; popular with students, less so with the Food Standards Agnecy

On campus things are less stomach-churning, with all food outlets scoring highly.

The Library Cafe as well as the student unions Nourish and 1923 all gained the highest possible rating of 5 and excelled in all criteria of the inspection.

Second year student, George Green, wasn’t particularly concerned with the dubious hygiene of several places in Leicester. “I’ll still go back to them because they’re cheap” he said.

“I know what i’m getting and when i’m drunk and crave food I’ll eat anything from anywhere.”

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It is not required by law to publicly display hygiene ratings in the premises and so customers could have little idea about the standard of the food they buy and the cleanliness of the place.

But the History and Politics student added, “The thing is when you’re drunk, food tastes the same anyway and I haven’t got ill yet.”