An Ealing restaurant has been recognised for the significant improvement it has made to food safety and hygiene with an award from Ealing Council.
Sri Lankan and South Indian restaurant, Papaya, has received a High Five award from the council’s food safety team, after it raised its food safety and hygiene rating from 2-star to 5-star following an inspection in May. A 5-star rating is the highest score a business can achieve within the scheme. The council’s High Five awards recognise local businesses that, on first inspection, were not meeting the highest food safety and hygiene standards, but have gone on to make notable improvements.
Food hygiene inspections look at 3 key areas: hygienic food handling, cleanliness and condition of facilities and buildings, and food safety management. The council’s food safety team works with local businesses to make sure that standards are met in these areas.
After maintaining a 4-star rating for many years before dropping to a 2-star, Jag Shanmuganathan, the restaurant’s owner, was determined to fix this. The team at Papaya worked closely with council officers to improve its standards and rating. Jag said, “We approached the feedback professionally and implemented all the necessary changes as recommended.”
He continued: “Thanks to the officers’ constructive help, we have now achieved a 5-star food hygiene rating. We are committed to maintaining the structures and standards recommended and we are grateful for the support provided by the Ealing Council food safety team.”
Strive for excellence
The restaurant was presented with its award last week by Councillor Kamaljit Nagpal, the council’s cabinet member for decent living incomes.
She said: “I am delighted to present the High Five award to Papaya, recognising its team’s hard work in achieving a 5-star rating. Our food safety officers are dedicated to helping local businesses meet the standards that our residents should expect. If those standards fall short, our team is ready to step in to give advice and help businesses improve. The progress made by Papaya has been outstanding, and I’d encourage all food establishments in the borough to follow their example and strive for excellence in food safety and hygiene.”
For more information on food safety, visit the council website.
