E7 Now & Then: Restaurants

This is the third summary of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) cleanliness ratings for Forest Gate eateries; for others, 2014 and 2015, see here and here.

There are more places covered in this survey than in the previous ones, because more have opened and the FSA have been more diligent at tracking restaurants down, for assessment.

The headline would be that, overall, standards appear to be improving.

The 2014 survey showed a shocking 8% of local restaurants gaining zero stars - only two of the 81 places covered in this survey had that unenviable distinction - see below, for details.

From a shocking 0 stars to
a respectable 3, in a year

Conversely, only 6% of places included in the 2014 survey were rated 5 star establishments, that percentage has more than doubled today, to 14%.

In the text below, we have listed each surveyed restaurant by their star rating, and, where available, we provide details of the start ratings from previous surveys. Clearly the newer establishments (such a Corner Kitchen on Woodgrange Road) have not been established long enough to have comparative data on previous performance.

The FSA use detailed criteria in making their overall assessment, and summaries can be found here. For simplicity, we have applied our own shorthand, and indicate it in the sub-heads below.

Some of the poorer restaurants and takeaways from previous years have closed, presumably as a combination of getting an FSA slating and customer rejection of poor standards.

For some food places, the FSA provide more detail about how they came to their judgement and offer details of three simple criteria; where these have been provided, we offer the details below. The key to abbreviations in inspectors' judgements, below, is:

Hygienic food handling (Hfh),
Cleanliness and condition of building (Ccb)
Management of food safety (Mfs)

Plaudits

Eateries showing the biggest improvement since the last survey are:

Eat More - up from a shocking 0 stars last year to 3, this
Mobeen - up from 1 to 4 stars
Forest Gate Hotel - up from 1 star to 3
Jin Hui - up from 1 star to 3

Up from 1 to 3 stars

Custard pies

Eateries showing the biggest deterioration since the last survey are:

Peri Peri Crush - down from 3 stars to 0
Indiano Pizza - down from 4 stars to 1

Disturbing drop from 4
stars to 1 in two years

Papa Shafs - down from 4 stars to 1
Compotes Cafe - down from 4 stars to 1
Marrakech London - down from 4 stars to 1
Pizza Hut - down from 5 stars to 3
Papas Chicken - down from 5 stars to 3
NUR - down from 3 stars to 1
Margalla Grill - down from 3 stars to 1
Everest - Fish & Chips Kebab - down from 3 stars to 1

Down from 3 stars to 1 in two years

New entry comes straight in with 5 stars

Greggs
39 Woodgrange Road E7 8BA
November 2015

McDonalds - Forest Gate
322 Romford Road E7 8DB
December 2016
Hfh - good; Ccb - good; Mfs - very good
2015 survey: 4 stars

Pita Pit
Unit 6 232 - 236 Green Street E7 8LE
April 2015
2015 survey: 5 stars

Subway
9 Woodgrange Road E7 8BA
September 2015
2015 survey: 5 stars

The Avenue
Railway Arches 436 To 437 Avenue Road
E7 0LB
November 2016
Hfh - good; Ccb - good; Mfs - good

The Holly Tree
141 Dames Road E7 0DZ
April 2015
2015 survey: 5 stars
2014 survey: 4 stars

The Hudson Bay
1-5 Upton Lane E7 9PA
January 2016
2015 survey: 5 stars
2014 survey: 5 stars

Waffle Paradise
Unit 55 232 - 236 Green Street E7 8LE
August 2016
Hfh - very good; Ccb - very good; Mfs - good

3 Stars (average)

Papa's down from 5 to 3 stars

Alnuur Cafe & Restaurant
466 Katherine Road E7 8DP
December 2015
2015 survey: 3 stars
2014 survey: 3 stars

Bayleaf Spice
311 Romford Road E7 9HA
November 2016

Brioche Burger
Unit 32 232 - 236 Green Street E7 8LE
October 2016
Hfh - generally satisfactory; Ccb - generally satisfactory; Mfs - generally satisfactory
2015 survey: 3 stars

Coffee Corner 13
11 - 13 Upton Lane E7 9PA
March 2016

Eat More
8-10 Railway Station Bridge Woodgrange Road E7 0NF
June 2016
Hfh - generally satisfactory; Ccb - generally satisfactory; Mfs - generally satisfactory
2015 survey: 0 stars
2014 survey: 1 star

Forest Cafe
61 Woodgrange Road E7 0EL
June 2015
2015 survey: 3 stars
2014 survey: 3 stars

Forest Gate Hotel
105 Godwin Road E7 0LW
December 2015
2015 survey: 1 star
2014 survey: 2 stars

Up from 1 star two years ago, to 3 today

Fox & Hounds
178 Forest Lane E7 9BB
September 2016
Hfh - generally satisfactory; Ccb - generally satisfactory; Mfs - generally satisfactory

Grillo Xpress Pizza
136 Green Street E7 8JQ
October 2016
Hfh - good; Ccb - generally satisfactory; Mfs - generally satisfactory

Jin Hui Chinese Takeaway
64 Field Road E7 9DL
December 2016
Hfh - generally satisfactory; Ccb - good; Mfs - generally satisfactory
2015 survey: 1 star
2014 survey: 1 star

Lahoori Spicy Biryani House
342 Katherine Road E7 8NW
December 2016
2015 survey: 4 stars
2014 survey: 4 stars

Lahore Xpress
99 Green Street E7 8JF
January 2017
Hfh - generally satisfactory; Ccb - generally satisfactory; Mfs - generally satisfactory
2015 survey: 3 stars
2014 survey: 1 star

Lahori Zaiqa
297b Romford Road E7 9HA
December 2015
2015 survey: 2 stars

Moon House
56 Woodgrange Road E7 0QH
October 2015
2015 survey: 4 stars
2014 survey: 4 stars

Papas Chicken
37a Woodgrange Road E7 8BA
June 2015
Hfh - generally satisfactory; Ccb - generally satisfactory; Mfs - generally satisfactory
2015 survey: 5 stars
2014 survey: 5 stars

Pizza Hut
60 Woodgrange Road E7 0QH
January 2016
2015 survey: 5 stars
2014 survey: 5 stars

Drop from 5 stars to a very low 3,
for a national chain fast food outlet

Reggae Pot
93 Pevensey Road E7 0AR
March 2015
2015 survey: 3 stars

Ronak Restaurant
317 Romford Road E7 9HA
October 2015
2015 survey: 3 stars
2014 survey: 3 stars

Rooster Piri Piri
Unit 4 232 - 236 Green Street E7 8LE
August 2016

Sake Sushi
29 Upton Lane E7 9PA
January 2017
Hfh - generally satisfactory; Ccb - generally satisfactory; Mfs - generally satisfactory
2015 survey: 3 stars

The Grill Corner
1 - 2 Carlton Terrace Green Street E7 8LH
November 2014

The Wanstead Tap
Arch 352 Winchelsea Road E7 0AQ
February 2016
2015 survey: 4 stars

1 Star (poor)

Down from 3 to 1 star

Abu Bakars BBQ
47 Upton Lane E7 9PA
May 2015
2015 survey: 1 star
2014 survey: 0 stars

Al Dubbagh Takeaway
55 Field Road E7 9DW
March 2016

Al Farooq Kebabish
84 Upton Lane E7 9LW
December 2015

Chicago 30
369 Katherine Road E7 8LT
September 2016
Hfh - major improvement necessary Ccb - major improvement necessary; Mfs - generally satisfactory
2015 survey: 2 stars
2014 survey: 2 stars

Clapton Football Club
Upton Lane E7 9NP
October 2016
Hfh - improvement necessary; Ccb - improvement necessary; Mfs - major improvement necessary

Compotes Cafe
118 Woodgrange Road E7 0EW
December 2016
Hfh - generally satisfactory; Ccb - generally satisfactory; Mfs - major improvement necessary
2015 survey: 4 stars

Daily Fry And Spice - Biryani House
426 Katherine Road E7 8NP
June 2015
2015 survey: 1 star
2014 survey: 1 star

Everest - Fish & Chips Kebab
327 Romford Road E7 8AE
November 2016
Hfh - generally satisfactory; Ccb - generally satisfactory Mfs - major improvement necessary
2015 survey: 3 stars
2014 survey: 3 stars

Grill It
78 Green Street E7 8JG
October 2016
Hfh - generally satisfactory; Ccb - good; Mfs - major improvement necessary

Indiano Pizza
126 Upton Lane E7 9LW
January 2016
2015 survey: 4 stars
2014 survey: 4 stars

Karlas Kitchen
159 Odessa Road E7 9DU
September 2016
Hfh - improvement necessary; Ccb - generally satisfactory; Mfs - major improvement necessary

LA Pizza
396 Romford Road E7 8DF
December 2015
2015 survey: 0 stars

Margalla Grill
255 Green Street E7 8LJ
December 2016
Hfh - good; Ccb - good; Mfs - major improvement necessary
2015 survey: 3 stars
2014 survey: 1 star

Marrakech London
Unit 54 232 - 236 Green Street E7 8LE
October 2016
Hfh - improvement necessary; Ccb - generally satisfactory; Mfs - major improvement necessary
2015 survey: 4 stars

NUR Restaurant
43 Woodgrange Road E7 8BA
December 2016
Hfh - generally satisfactory; Ccb - improvement necessary; Mfs - major improvement necessary
2015 survey: 3 stars
2014 survey: 3 stars

Disappointing drop on Woodgrange
Road - from 3 to 1 star

Pakhtunkhwa Restaurant
76 Green Street E7 8JG
January 2017
Hfh - improvement necessary; Ccb - generally satisfactory; Mfs - major improvement necessary
2014 survey: 0 stars

Panda's Kitchen
396 Katherine Road E7 8NW
April 2016
Hfh - improvement necessary; Ccb - improvement necessary; Mfs - major improvement necessary
2015 survey: 1 star

Papa Shafs Original Ltd
50 Upton Lane E7 9LN
October 2016
Hfh - generally satisfactory; Ccb - improvement necessary; Msf - major improvement necessary
2015 survey: 4 stars
2014 survey: 4 stars

Down from a good 4 to
a poor 1 over two years

Pizza Haven
14 Sebert Road E7 0NQ
February 2016

Roast 2012
491 Katherine Road E7 8DR
August 2016
Hfh - major improvement necessary; Ccb - improvement necessary; Mfs - generally satisfactory
2015 survey: 2 stars

The Second Wife
40 Upton Lane E7 9LN
September 2016
Hfh - good; Ccb - generally satisfactory; Mfs - major improvement necessary

0 Stars (shocking)

Dixy Chicken
74 Woodgrange Road E7 0EN
December 2016
Hfh - improvement necessary; Ccb - major improvement necessary; Mfs - urgent improvement necessary

A truly shocking 0 stars for Dixy Chicken
- "urgent improvement necessary"

Peri Peri Crush
401 Katherine Road E7 8LT
October 2016
Hfh - major improvement necessary; Ccb - major improvement necessary; Mfs - major improvement necessary
2015 survey: 3 stars

The Food Standards Agency operates a national food hygiene rating system, popularly known as 'Scores on the Doors' under which all retail food outlets are tested for cleanliness by local authority environmental health staff. The outlets are then given a rating, based on the findings. These are usually available for public scrutiny on the authority and council's websites.

Newham is gradually moving over to this system and its results will be available 'live' in a month or so. We have, however, been given early access to the ratings for fast food shops and restaurants along Woodgrange Road, and a pretty mixed bunch of findings are revealed.

Under the scheme, the inspectors are not concerned with food quality or value for money, but solely with food hygiene. They test for three main areas:

• how hygienically the food is handled,

• what the conditions of the building are like for food hygiene, and

• how effective record keeping is, to ensure food hygiene.

The inspectors then give an overall star rating to the premises, based on their findings. These are simple to understand:

• 5 stars - Very good

• 4 stars - Good

• 3 stars - Generally satisfactory

• 2 stars - Improvement needed

• 1 star - Major improvements needed

• 0 stars - Urgent improvement needed

Regardless of the number of stars awarded, if the inspectors have major concerns over any of the three areas examined, they can determine that the premises was "non-compliant" with their overall expectations, at the time of the inspection.

Inspectors take the owners/managers of the premises through their findings and point to ways in which they can improve hygiene levels, up to the 5 star level, after each visit. Inspections are conducted regularly, and are unannounced.

There is a high turnover of food premises ownership and control, and the Environmental Health officials struggle to keep up with the changes in control/ownership and management. They hope to have all their findings, not just for restaurants, but for all other retail food premises in the borough available for public inspection on both the Newham Council and FSA websites by the end of the year.

Wandering along Woodgrange Road, from Romford Road, the food premises and their most recent ratings are:

The Palm Tree (ex Princess Alice)
3 stars - compliant

Percy Ingle's - 13 Woodgrange Road
5 stars - compliant

KFC - 31 Woodgrange Road

5 stars - compliant

Papa's Chicken - 35 Woodgrange Road

5 stars - compliant

Gregg's - 37 Woodgrange Road

5 stars - compliant

NUR - 43 Woodgrange Road

3 stars - compliant

Favorite Chicken - 47 Woodgrange Road

4 stars - compliant

Charsi Tikka - 50 Woodgrange Road

2 stars - non compliant

Moon House - 56 Woodgrange Road

2 stars - compliant

Forest Cafe - 61 Woodgrange Road

2 stars - compliant

Pizza Hut - 56 Woodgrange Road

2 stars - non compliant

Eat More - 10 Railway Approach

1 star - non compliant

Dixy Chicken

Not yet assessed

Kaffine - 180 Forest Lane

4 stars - compliant

Angels - 79 Woodgrange Road

2 stars - compliant

Mist Lounge - 85 Woodgrange Road

Not yet assessed

Siam Cafe - 103 Woodgrange Road

2 stars - compliant

Charcoal Grill - 105 Woodgrange Road

1 star - not compliant

Royal Fried Chicken -

107 Woodgrange Road

Now renamed Golden Fried

Chicken

2 stars - not compliant

E7 Jerk Pit -

110 Woodgrange Road

2 stars - Complaint

Meanwhile, details of two other catering initiatives on Woodgrange Road

The Forest Tavern, which has had such a dramatic impact - for the better - on the local pub scene since it opened recently will be adding to the culinary offer locally, by opening its restaurant on 7 November.

Secondly, The Observer's food critic, Jay Rayner made a valiant stab at promoting the recent Box Chicken trial on Woodgrange Road, in his article in the paper's magazine on 27 October.

But it made a pretty depressing read. He revealed that:

• The fried chicken market, nationally, is worth between £15bn - £20bn p.a.

• There are 70 fried chicken shops in Newham. No secondary school is more than 500 metres from one.

• The Box Chicken van was an initiative aimed at prompting healthier eating, by selling less fatty, more wholesome and flavoursome foods than the local chicken shop options, promoted by a not for profit organisation We Are What We Do.

Box Chicken, experiment on
Woodgrange Road, for a month

• On the van's best day, in week 2 of the experiment, it sold 29 portions of food. The previous day just eight. The recently opened, and adjacent, Dixy Chicken shifts 600 pieces of fried chicken a day.

• The most enthusiasm expressed for the Box Chicken initiative on Rayner's two visits came from students from St Angela's, who were clearly encouraged by the school staff to act as cheer leaders for the experiment during his tours.

• Most depressingly: "We've seen all these chicken deals for 99p, why would kids spend £2.50 on the alternative."

E7 restaurants - food rating - March 2017

Friday, 31 March 2017

Plaudits

Custard pies

5 Stars (excellent)

4 Stars (Good)

3 Stars (average)

2 Stars (sub-standard)

1 Star (poor)

0 Stars (shocking)

Food hygiene in Woodgrange Road

Wednesday, 30 October 2013