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Row over food rating 'shambles'





Some others claimed the scheme, launched this month, used data from inspections that were more than 12 months out of date.
Although the majority were awarded high ratings by West Berkshire Council inspectors, a significant proportion were said to need improvement, sometimes major.
Under the new rating system, overseen by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) food outlets are given ratings as follows:
5: very good; 4: good; 3: generally satisfactory; 2: improvement necessary; 1: major improvement necessary and O: urgent improvement necessary.
West Berkshire Council promotes the new ratings on its website but Alison Bowood, of Tigers Day Nursery, Turnpike Road, Thatcham, was furious to discover she had wrongly been awarded a ‘2’ score on the website.
It was upgraded to to a ‘4’ after she complained.
Likewise, Elliot Wright of the Village Shop in Woolhampton (formerly Woolhampton Stores) was awarded a ‘5’ certificate - yet he said the website rates the premises at ‘2.’
Licensee of The Bull at Theale, Mark Gallimore, said: “I feel highly let down by the whole process. It’s a shambles. I was downgraded from a ‘5’ rating by the inspector who visited me last May, mainly because I wasn't on site when he attended the kitchen.
“He also interrogated my chef whilst he was trying to get 50 meals out so, in a flap, he didn't answer some of his questions quickly enough. The inspector acknowledged the kitchen was very hygienic but because I wasn't there to show where all the previous paperwork was (it was locked away in my office) he marked me down.”
Mr Gallimore said he has been trying to persuade the council to re-visit and upgrade his ‘1’ rating ever since and said he had lost thousands of pounds worth of trade as a result.
Mr Gallimore added: “I would welcome any potential customer into our kitchens to check for themselves.”
Tracey Gerayesh of Panousha Baguettes in The Arcade, Newbury, was awarded a ‘1’ on the website.
She said: “In my case the information is 13 months old and any requirements felt needed at that time were put in place within one week of the inspection taking place. “Over my 12 years of trading as a very popular and respected baguette shop, I’m very pleased to have not had one incidence of food poisoning or complaint.”
Frank Adams of the Winterbourne Arms said he was disappointed in the scheme and added: “One of our difficulties is that we have a 300-year-old building. The scheme tends to favour outlets like McDonalds who can throw investment capital at a venture they can recoup over decades.”
It was not all bad news - many outlets received top rating, such as the newly re-opened Swan Inn at Great Shefford.
Hospitality director Ned Bowron said: “We’re very proud and delighted to be one of the first local businesses to be rewarded with the new Food and Hygiene Scheme. We have put a lot of work and efforts to bring The Swan back to life in the village and our first three months have been very exciting. We are thrilled to see our efforts rewarded.”
FSA spokesman Brad Smythe said: “It’s the local council that sends inspectors and updates the website ratings. We set the national framework.”
After repeated requests, West Berkshire Council spokesman Keith Ulyatt said late yesterday (Tuesday) evening: “Regarding Tigers Nursery, it is showing a 4 on the FSA website. It was rated 2 at a previous inspection. It was inspected on 9 Feb.”
He added: “According to our records, the Village Shop, Woolhampton and Woolhampton Stores are two separate businesses. Woolhampton Stores has closed. The Village Shop is showing a 5 on the FSA website.
“As the FSA website shows, Panousha were inspected in Feb 2011 and received a rating of 1. They have not been inspected since, so that is the latest rating they have.”
He was unable to confirm whether there were any more misleading ratings on the FSA website other than the ones highlighted to him by Newburytoday.co.uk



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