If you are thinking of treating yourself or someone else to a nice meal out this Christmas, you might want to do your research first.

There are lots of lovely eateries in the borough to choose from, but do you know how clean their kitchens are?

Ealing Council’s food safety team has introduced a scheme that recognises excellent food hygiene, particularly where significant improvements have been made.

The High Five award has been created to recognise local businesses that were previously found to have not been fully compliant with food safety and hygiene standards, but then went on to make huge improvements and raise their scores dramatically.

The first award

The first High Five award was given to Boof Restaurant, an Iranian restaurant in New Broadway, Ealing. The restaurant worked with the council to raise its food hygiene rating to a 5 in 4 months.

Mohammad Reza, owner of Boof, said: “We are very proud to display our 5-star food hygiene rating. We are open throughout the Christmas period and hope that our excellent rating will encourage customers to eat at our restaurant.”

High five

The council’s latest award went to Samrat, a Bangladeshi and Indian restaurant in Pitshanger Lane, Ealing. The owner worked closely with the council to make some improvements earlier this year, resulting in a fantastic food hygiene rating of 5 in just 6 months. This is the top rating – with 0 the lowest and 5 the highest.

Food hygiene inspections focus on 3 main areas, which are: hygienic food handling, cleanliness and condition of facilities and building, and management of food safety.

Shafrul Islam, the restaurant owner, said: “We are lucky to have so many local customers – some have been coming to our restaurant for 40 years. With the support of Ealing Council, we have made significant
changes and are proud to say we have achieved the top rating in the food hygiene rating scheme.”

Booking a Christmas meal

Councillor Louise Brett, the council’s cabinet member for decent living incomes, said: “Before you eat out or order in this Christmas, it is important to think about where your food is being prepared. You can find
out the food hygiene rating of most restaurants in a couple of clicks, it’s definitely worth doing to try and
avoid any nasty surprises.

“Our food safety team works hard to support businesses, improve standards and keep residents safe.
Boof and Samrat are prime examples of how a 5-star food hygiene rating is good for business.”

You can search online for a business’s food hygiene rating score.

Get in touch

If you are concerned about food hygiene in a restaurant, café, takeaway or a shop within the borough, you can register a complaint by emailing foodsafety@ealing.gov.uk or calling 020 8825 6666.