Restaurants around Oxford are breaching dozens of environmental health regulations, The Oxford Student can reveal. In a series of inspections carried out by Oxford City Council, numerous restaurants were found in contravention of the Food Safety Act (1990). Reports ranging from dirty chopping boards in Maxwell's to serious insect infestations have shocked diners across the University.
The inspections, carried out without warning over an 18-month period, found 15 restaurants in Oxford that "pose a considerable risk to the health of customers". At Chopsticks restaurant on Cowley Road, the infestation of pharaoh ants was so severe that the inspector ordered that it be removed by a pest control expert. The management at Chopsticks refused to comment on the issue.
Some restaurants had failed to perform a risk assessment or COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) report. The latter is required by law and premises that do not comply risk immediate prosecution and closure. At La Cucina, the inspection discovered ice cream stored next to raw prawns, risking cross contamination. It was also noted that raw produce was being stored in the original cardboard packaging, risking it being impregnated with cockroach eggs, which would cause an infestation.
Aziz Restaurant was criticised for storing potentially lethal cleaning chemicals alongside food products. The restaurant was also criticized for having no sanitiser in its kitchen and no inlet ventilation in the cooking area. Mario's Pizzeria was found to have left the chemical cupboard open to customers during the inspection. Joe's Café on Cowley Road was found to have no ventilation in the toilets, resulting in an unpleasant smell.
Quod and La Cucina were found to be either lacking a wash basin in the kitchen or had one that was broken or unacceptably dirty. In a report made only two months ago it was noted that the ice machine at Holywell's showed signs of mould growth. Holywell's also had a walk-in fridge which showed significant mould growth.
At Spice Village on Cowley Road, the oven lining was found to be defective, leading the inspector to claim that there was serious danger of cement contamination in all food cooked on the premises. Chain restaurants were also criticised for negligent practises. At Bella Italia, three staff had received no hygiene training and cooking equipment was found to be in a highly unsanitary state. The manager has told The Oxford Student that the issues have since been rectified.
The Food Safety Act (1990) allows the council to impose a range of deadlines depending on the nature of the complaint. For serious problems such as pest infestations, the inspector can close the restaurant immediately. Structural issues such as cracked tiles or peeling paintwork are treated less severely; where there is no "imminent risk to health", the restaurant may be given a period of weeks. Students were shocked by the reports.
Hayley Wood, a first year English and French student at Trinity College said, "It makes you wonder what goes on in kitchens like that. I had no idea places were allowed to run in such a terrible state." Among the more bizarre practices found by the inspections was the use of a builder's blowtorch at Bar Meze to light ovens. In contrast to more established restaurants, the kebab vans and mobile takeaways in Oxford were almost universally well maintained and exceptionally clean.
Ali's Kebab Van was praised for its "experienced and good operational standards," whilst Boss's Kebab Centre was described as "an excellent catering trailer with high standards of construction and cleaning." John Evans, a Council Environmental Officer, said, "After seeing reports like this, I've actually eaten at the takeaway vans a lot more. The kitchen area is totally on show to the customer, so they have to keep it clean.
The well known chain restaurants Zizzi, ASK and Pizza Express all performed well in the inspections and, apart from minor infractions such as cracked tiles, were well kept and efficiently managed. Particular comment was made on how well the Cowley Road restaurants Kashmir Halal and Mirch Masala were run. A supervisor from ASK restaurant said, "ASK takes great pains to maintain high standards of hygiene. Obviously we're delighted that this is reflected in the Council reports.
In January 2006, The Oxford Student revealed 80 breaches of environmental health laws in Oxford college kitchens, including 18 serious violations. The colleges claim to have improved kitchen conditions since then.
