Shock Food Hygiene Rating for Lala Brasserie


Black's Road restaurant given low score during inspection last month

Lala Bar and Brasserie, one of the busiest restaurants in Hammersmith's town centre has been awarded a very low Food Hygiene Rating of 1, meaning major improvement is necessary, following an inspection on February 8.

The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme, run in our borough by Hammersmith and Fulham Council in partnership with the Food Standards Agency, aims to help consumers decide where to eat and buy their food. It also recognises those businesses with the highest standards and encourages others to improve.

The overall aim is to reduce the number of cases of food poisoning which currently affects about one million people in the UK every year.

The food safety officer checks how hygienically the food is prepared, cooked, re-heated, cooled and stored; the condition of the structure of the buildings including the cleanliness, layout, lighting, ventilation and other facilities; and how the business manages and records what it does to make sure food is safe

The hygiene standards are then rated on a scale of 0 - 5 where 5 is highest, considered very good and 0 is lowest. On its page on the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme, Hammersmith and Fulham Council says that all businesses should be able to achieve the top rating of 5.

Businesses are given a window sticker showing their rating and are encouraged to display this at their premises in a place where it can easily be seen by visitors, though this is currently voluntary.

In the case of Lala Bar and Brasserie, the low rating was the result of three elements. While its food hygiene and safety was considered fair, structural compliance was poor and there was little confidence in the management.

We have asked Lala Bar and Brasserie if they wish to comment on the rating.

You can check out ratings for 224 businesses across our borough on the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme homepage and at Scores on the Doors.

March 17, 2016