Eight food outlets get low score
EIGHT Bailiwick establishments have a single-star rating in the most recent food hygiene listings from Environmental Health.
There are four in Guernsey – the Imperial Hotel, the Harbour View Chinese takeaway, L’Ancresse kiosk and Nelia’s Bakery and Coffee Shop.
In Alderney, the airport’s Aviator Cafe, Harbour Lights Hotel and The Adventurer’s Rest inn are all rated as one.
St Anne’s Guest House is also rated one star, but that dates from an inspection in August last year.
Nelia’s single star dates from an inspection in January. Owner Nelia Abreu has said that the problem was one of her not filling out the paperwork.
The Imperial Hotel is operated by Randall’s and a spokesperson said that the premises has undergone major renovations in recent months.
‘It was just unfortunate that the inspector visited us in May,’ he said, ‘with the work being still in progress at that time.
‘Within two weeks of their visit, everything they had told us needed to be rectified had been done.’
The hotel is close to completing the changes, which have seen the refurbishment of the restaurant, the building of a new toilet block and a new terrace bar area which was opened recently.
Randall’s also operates the Aviator at Alderney Airport, and the company spokesman said the issue in this case was with seals on the door of a freezer and oven.
‘We’ve rectified the situation,’ said the spokesperson, ‘but we’ve not yet had a revisit.’ Because of difficulties obtaining replacement seals, the cafe has had a new freezer and oven.’
The Aviator previously had a four-star rating.
‘It’s quite frustrating for a business. We were given four weeks [to fix things] and it’s not even been that yet.’
Harbour Lights manager Martin Smith, who took the hotel on a couple of months ago, said the one-star rating had been inherited from the previous management. After renovation the venue reopened for food a couple of weeks ago.
‘We were re-inspected and we’ve carried out lots of improvements since taking over so we are confident our new rating will be significantly improved,’ he said.
Director of environmental health and pollution regulation Tobin Cook said that the common factor in all the one-star businesses had been poor food hygiene management, which involves a business managing and recording what they do to make sure food is safe.
‘Food businesses are unable to score higher ratings unless they can demonstrate basic compliance with this legal requirement,’ he said.
n A new website that will contain live updates of the hygiene ratings along with reasons for each score, is due to go live soon.
