Zero hygiene rating for vegan eaterie

ONE of Cardiff’s top rated restaurants has been given a zero food hygiene score.

Food inspectors said “urgent improvement” was “necessary” at Anna Loka on Albany Road, the city’s first full vegan restaurant.

Inspectors noted “improvement necessary” for hygienic food handling, cleanliness and condition of the facilities and building when they visited in June.

Officers also identified shortcomings within the management of food safety.

The eaterie has been rated the seventh best restaurant out of 923 venues in the capital on review website TripAdvisor.

The food hygiene ratings refers to preparation, cooking, re-heating, cooling and storage of food.

Inspectors assess the cleanliness and condition of the facilities and look at various areas including hand-washing facilities and pest control.

They also look at the management of food safety, the knowledge of staff on food safety and the systems or checks in place to make sure food served or sold is safe to eat.

Adam El Tagoury, director at Anna Loka, said: “We have appealed and we are awaiting a response.

“We have been doing everything necessary and testing the temperatures of all of the food.

“But we just did not have the full paperwork showing why we do it.

“Yes, we have been doing it all but because of the paperwork they gave us zero. I’m sure we will get a new rating and go to five stars where we belong.”

He added he is very “disappointed” with the result and was in “tears” when told by the inspectors.

Yesterday the restaurant was displaying its previous food hygiene rating of “one”, which Adam said was because the sticker showing the new rating has not yet been sent to them.

He added that they paid £160 on Wednesday to appeal the rating which will be reviewed within three months.