SIX restaurants have been condemned by health chiefs after failing to win any stars in a hygiene inspection. Another 12 others were judged to be unsatisfactory.
The Scores on the Doors scheme involves councils assessing hygiene in restaurants and awarding them up to five stars.
Three restaurants in Henley failed to win one star. They were the Chef Peking in Market Place, the Himalayan Tandoori in Reading Road and Istanbul Kebab in Greys Road.
The Cherry Tree in Stoke Row also received a zero rating as did with the New Inn in Kidmore End and the Mela Riverside Tea Rooms in Goring which has since closed.
Those failing to win a star were described as showing “almost total non-compliance with obligations and poor management track record”.
At the other end of the scale, the Hotel du Vin in New Street, Henley, was the only establishment in the area to be awarded five stars.
The judges said it showed an “excellent record of compliance, standards are high and conform to industry codes with competent management.”
Another 12 restaurants in Henley received just one star and were criticised for having low standards and generally failing to satisfy obligations.
These included La Bodega, Casa Nostra, Loch Fyne, the Red Lion Hotel, the café at the River & Rowing Museum and the Southern Fried Chicken shop in Greys Road.
The Tesco store in Henley was awarded just one star for hygiene but its staff canteen was rated as four-star.
Thirty-nine outlets given two stars were judged to be “fair”, 32 received three stars and were categorised as “good” and the 28 that were awarded four stars were said to be “very good”.
Steve Wan, owner of Chef Peking, said: “I am very surprised at this. We have never had a complaint in 25 years of business. A health inspector visits every 12 months and the last time I recall seeing one was in September.
“As far as we were concerned, everything was okay at that time. There was a little bit of cleaning up required but nothing out of the ordinary.”
Mr Wan, who joined the restaurant as a waiter in 1983 and became manager and owner in 1992, said he would be seeing an inspector this month and would ask for clarification on the “no-stars” rating.
Richard Coates, owner of the Cherry Tree, said: “I totally refute these allegations. It is outrageous that one person can mark us down on such points. I asked for the inspector to come back but was told there wouldn’t be another visit until next year, so they can’t care that much.
“We have an incredibly busy restaurant that is extremely successful. It is a testament to what we do. I have taken this matter up with our legal people and will contest these findings, which are entirely false.”
Stephen Hodgkinson, manager of Hotel du Vin, said: “We try to maintain high standards both in front and at the back of the house. It is the work behind the scenes that often doesn’t get recognised so we welcome these findings.”
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Published on 06 July 2009
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