UK’s Worst Food Safety Hotspot: Streets Overrun by Unrated Takeaways and Shops

• 
  
  Have you got a tale to tell?
  
  Email [email protected]
  

Today, Britain’s poorest region in terms of food standards has been exposed following an investigation conducted by MailOnline.

An analysis of information provided by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and the Office for National Statistics has revealed the frequency of establishments receiving zero stars for food safety ratings across different locations per 100,000 people.

MailOnline has learned that the FSA believes all companies should have the potential to attain a top five-star rating and encourages businesses to strive for a minimum of a three-star rating or higher.

However, data revealed numerous councils received zero stars, indicating that food standards inspectors found ‘ urgent improvements are needed.’

One stood out as significantly worse compared to the others, and upon visiting several of the takeaways and stores highlighted by the Mail, it became evident why this was the case.

At a hamburger and taco restaurant, the manager would use his bare hands to operate a meat press on raw ground beef and then utilize those same hands to place buns.

In some areas, clutter spilled out onto the floor, and grime was visible lodged in the gaps next to food containers.

Every shop we went to was located within an area home to 76 one-star-rated establishments with a populace of merely 275,980 individuals.

In East London, within the borough of Waltham Forest which was previously controlled by the Labour party, one out of every 25 restaurants receives the lowest rating, making it have the highest percentage of zero-starrated places nationally at 27.5%.

The nearest council regarding the percentage of zero-rated stores has roughly half that figure: Westminster Council, at 13.7 percent.

In an interview with MailOnline, the Deputy Leader of Waltham Forest stated
Conservatives
charged the Council with ‘ignoring’ specific zero-rated stores and stated that it seemed more focused on issuing parking tickets to locals rather than addressing food safety concerns.

Councilor Afzal Akram stated that the council’s priorities were misplaced and demanded an investigation into why the store remained open notwithstanding the report.

He stated: “Once you’re conscious of it and choose to ignore it, this simply won’t do.”

‘This is risky. It might result in someone losing their life.’

‘They have their priorities backwards. Our Local Authority focuses more on filling up their coffers with parking tickets instead of tackling genuine issues such as food safety.’

A report from National Scrap Cars indicates that Waltham Forest generated the second-highest revenue from parking fines last year, totaling £6.3 million.

The Conservative council member also noted that it wasn’t surprising for Waltham Forest to have the highest number of zero-rated food establishments nationally.

He stated: “It seems like they aren’t allocating sufficient resources to this project. It’s clear what their main focuses are.”

Two years back, MailOnline went to Leytonstone High Road in Waltham Forest, an area known for takeaway places with questionable cleanliness practices. These establishments would prepare meals using bare hands and then request patrons to pay up with their well-deserved money.

Today, little has changed. The area is riddled with zero-star businesses, and it’s not just junk food and takeaways.

There are only five major supermarkets in the UK with zero-star ratings, and surprisingly, two of these are located on the same street in Waltham Forest.

The Council stated that it adheres to the FSA guidelines and can only shut down a store when one of their food standards officers determines that the establishment’s practices are significantly substandard and pose an immediate threat to public health.

Nevertheless, MailOnline has uncovered that the Council maintained an operational store even though one of their officials declared there was an ‘impending danger for customers.’

When our correspondent presented this to the council, it asserted

The report clearly stated: “The immediate threat to consumers has been removed.”

Nevertheless, the council misconstrued this statement. As evident from the photograph of the report provided below, what was stated was: ‘

If substantial issues are identified, it is anticipated that the facilities will be closed.


until

The imminent threat to consumers has been removed.

Councillor Khevyn Limbajee, who serves as the Cabinet Member for Community Safety, stated: “Our food safety team diligently ensures that every eatery within our district adheres to proper hygiene protocols and safeguards customer well-being.”

The council is limited to enforcing food standards regulations; however, it is the legal duty of food business operators to ensure compliance with these standards.

We have a strict no-exceptions rule for food establishments that do not comply with legal obligations.

Consequently, approximately 50 enterprises face closure and legal action each year because of subpar hygiene standards, insufficient food safety protocols, or problems with pests.

Concerning the report, he mentioned: “The inspector’s document cites past rodent control problems from the end of 2024.”

The report suggests that the officer thought the store ought to have shut down willingly despite an ongoing major pest issue. We can verify that the store indeed chose to close voluntarily in November 2024 for carrying out pest control measures.

The inspection report from March 2025 highlighted these concerns as documented in the store’s internal records.

Despite the significant problems identified during the inspection, they were not severe enough to warrant closing the store.

In December 2024, Waltham Forest Council became the first local government body to shut down and take legal action against an Aldi location when rodent excrement was found in product packaging at their Leyton outlet. As a result, Aldi was penalized with a fine amounting to £64,000.

Waltham Forest became the first council in the United Kingdom to shut down a McDonald’s branch due to food safety concerns in more than two decades when they took this action in 2021.

However, when the Mail went to visit zero-rated stores on Saturday, it was easy to comprehend why they had garnered such poor ratings.

Soulfoods Farmacy, located on Leytonstone High Road, has received a zero food hygiene rating.

However, owner Osiris Khnum, 56, who has run the shop for six years, told MailOnline his main focus was on cleanliness, health and nutrition.

The man who has four children stated, “I am unable to operate properly unless I clean up this space.”

We nourish the intellect, physical well-being, and spiritual self. To facilitate healing of our bodies, we must return to natural sources.

We continue consuming processed and genetically altered food—consequently, we get genetically altered and ill.

Mr Khnum asserted that his rating was five stars. However, it actually stands at zero, as per the FSA’s website.

Just a short drive from there, in Leyton, 24-year-old Saqib Malik manages Perfect Fried Chicken, a place where he has been working for the past six years.

A ‘certificate of achievement’ for ‘Level 2 Food Hygiene and Safety for Catering’ was hanging on the wall, though it wasn’t issued by the FSA.

Mr. Malik stated, “It’s essential for us to undertake such training programs to ensure our performance metrics remain high.”

At this moment, to be truthful, we have a ranking of four. Our aim is to reach five. We are putting in our utmost effort.

According to the FSA website, however, Mr. Malik’s store has received a rating of zero.

Further along, at Taco and Buns, owner Karym Marida, who is 41 years old, mentioned that his enthusiasm lies in cuisine.

In his free-of-charge shop, he employed his bare hand to crush a burger with a metal press and then utilized the same hand to flip the buns.

These stores were among the 76 establishments in the region.

Waltham Forest was accompanied in the top ten by councils such as Westminster, Camden, and Newham, indicating that London has four local authorities with some of the poorest-rated food hygiene establishments in the nation.

Although Birmingham has the most zero star shops at 77, its population of 1.1mmillion means it only has a rate of 6.6 stores per 100,000 population.

A representative from Camden Council stated: “Within Camden, there are more than 4,000 food businesses. Although the 23 zero-rated places make up only 0.5 percent of this total, recognizing them underscores the crucial role our staff play in safeguarding public health and ensuring consumers receive accurate information.”

They similarly collaborate closely with companies to guarantee swift enhancements are implemented and stringent norms for food cleanliness and security are upheld.

The Pendle Council stated that it adhered to the FSA guidelines.

The brand adheres to strict standards and employs a policy of zero tolerance towards non-compliant food establishments.

Sarah Whitwell, who leads the Housing and Environmental Health department, stated: “We issue enforcement notices, shut down establishments, and currently have 15 ongoing prosecutions related to problems such as inadequate food safety measures and substandard cleanliness.”

We’ve expanded our service capabilities over the past year to expedite actions against businesses not adhering to regulations and to maintain public safety.

The Council stated that it urged locals to visit the FSA website to review the ratings prior to eating at restaurants.

The Newham Council stated: “Our Food Safety Team actively backs all enterprises, particularly those requiring enhancements, to elevate their standards and support the growth of local establishments.”

The FSA chose not tocomment.

Read more