UK's Worst Food Standards: Streets Overrun by Zero-Rated Takeaways and Shops

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Britain's worst area for food standards can be revealed today after an investigation by MailOnline.

Analysis of data from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and the Office for National Statistics has uncovered the rate of businesses with zero-star food standards according to location per 100,000 population.

MailOnline has learned that the FSA believes all companies should have the potential to attain a top five-star rating, and they expect businesses to strive for a minimum of a three-star rating or higher.

However, data revealed several councils received no stars, indicating that food standard inspectors found ' urgent improvements were necessary.'

One stood out as significantly worse compared to the others, and upon visiting several of the takeaway places and stores highlighted by the Mail, it became evident why this was the case.

At a single burger and taco place, the manager utilized his bare hands to operate a meat compressor with some raw ground beef prior to employing those same unwashed hands to arrange the bread rolls.

In some cases, clutter spilled out onto the floor, and grime was lodged in the gaps next to food containers.

All the shops we visited were in a single area that has 76 zero-star businesses and a population of just 275,980.

That area was Labour-run Waltham Forest, in east London, where one in every 25 eateries is rated zero stars and the area has the highest rate of zero-rated establishments in the country at 27.5.

The nearest council regarding the percentage of zero-rated stores comes second at about half this figure: Westminster Council, which stands at 13.7.

Talking to MailOnline, the Deputy Leader of Waltham Forest stated Conservatives charged the Council with 'ignoring' specific zero-rated stores and suggested they were more focused on issuing parking tickets to locals rather than ensuring proper food safety standards.

Cllr Afzal Akram said the council had its priorities wrong and called for an inquiry as to why the store was not closed down despite the report.

He stated: "Once you're conscious of it and choose to ignore it, this simply isn’t acceptable."

'This is risky. It might result in someone losing their life.'

'They have their priorities mixed up. Our local council focuses more on filling their pockets with parking tickets instead of tackling genuine issues such as food safety.'

Based on a report from National Scrap Cars, Waltham Forest came in second for the highest revenue from parking fines last year, earning £6.3 million.

The Tory councillor added it was 'no surprise' that Waltham Forest has the highest rate of zero-rated food businesses in the country.

He stated: "It seems like they aren’t allocating sufficient resources to this project. It’s clear what their main focuses are."

Two years back, MailOnline went to Leytonstone High Road in Waltham Forest, where some takeaway places with questionable cleanliness would prepare meals using their bare hands and then ask customers to pay up with their well-deserved money.

Today, little has changed. The area is riddled with zero-star businesses, and it's not just junk food and takeaways.

The UK currently has only five major supermarkets with zero-star ratings, and interestingly, two of these are located on the same street in Waltham Forest.

The Council mentioned they adhere to the FSA guidelines and can only shut down a store if one of their food standards officers determines that a business’s practices are severely inadequate and pose an immediate threat to public health.

Nevertheless, MailOnline can disclose that the Council maintained an operational store even though one of their officials mentioned an 'impending danger to customers.'

When our journalist presented this to the council, it asserted The report clearly stated: "The immediate threat to consumers has been removed."

Nevertheless, the council misinterpreted this. As the image from the report beneath indicates, it originally stated: ' If substantial issues are identified, it is anticipated that the establishment should be closed. until The immediate threat to customers has been removed.

Cr Khevyn Limbajee, Portfolio Holder for Community Safety, stated: "Our food safety team diligently ensures that all eateries within the district adhere to hygiene regulations and protect their patrons."

The local authority has the power to enforce food safety rules, but ensuring compliance with these guidelines falls legally upon the operators of food businesses.

We have a strict no-exceptions rule for food establishments that do not comply with their legal obligations.

Consequently, roughly 50 enterprises face closure and prosecution each year because of subpar hygiene practices, insufficient food safety protocols, or problems with pests.

Concerning the report, he mentioned: "The inspector's document refers to past pest management problems from the end of 2024."

The report suggests that the officer thought the store ought to have shut down willingly despite an ongoing major pest issue. We can verify that the store indeed chose to close voluntarily in November 2024 for carrying out pest control measures.

The inspection report from March 2025 highlighted these concerns as documented in the store’s own records.

'Though significant problems were uncovered during the inspection, these did not warrant shutting down the store.'

In December 2024, Waltham Forest Council became the first local government body to shut down and take legal action against an Aldi location following the discovery of mouse droppings in product packaging at their Leyton outlet. As a result, Aldi faced penalties amounting to £64,000.

'Waltham Forest became the first council in the UK to shut down a McDonald’s outlet due to food safety concerns after more than two decades when they took this action in 2021.'

Still, when the Mail stopped by the zero-rated shops on Saturday, it was easy to see why they had gotten such poor scores.

Soulfoods Farmacy, located on Leytonstone High Road, has received a zero food hygiene rating.

Nevertheless, owner Osiris Khnum, aged 56, who has been managing the store for six years, informed MailOnline that his primary emphasis was on hygiene, wellness, and nutritional value.

The father-of-four said: 'I can't really function without cleaning the place.

'We provide food for the mind, body and spirit. We have to go back to nature for our bodies to heal.

'We keep eating these processed and genetically modified foods - we become genetically modified and sick.'

Mr Khnum asserted he maintained a five-star rating. However, the FSA’s website shows it is actually zero.

Just a short drive from there in Leyton, Saqib Malik, who is 24 years old, manages Perfect Fried Chicken, a place where he has been working for half a decade.

Placed on the wall was a 'certificate of accomplishment' for 'Level 2 Food Hygiene and Safety for Catering,' however, it did not originate from the FSA.

Mr Malik stated, "It's essential for us to undertake such training programs to ensure our performance metrics remain high."

'Honestly, at this moment, we're rated four. Our aim is to reach a five. We’re putting in our utmost effort.'

Nonetheless, as per the FSA site, Mr Malik’s store has received a rating of zero.

Further along the street, at Taco and Buns, owner Karym Marida, who is 41 years old, mentioned that his enthusiasm lies in cuisine.

At his zero-rated eatery, he employed his bare hands to crush a patty with a metal press and subsequently utilized the same unwashed hands to flip the bread rolls.

These stores were among the 76 locations in the region.

Waltham Forest was accompanied at the bottom of the rankings by several councils such as Westminster, Camden, and Newham. This indicates that London is home to four local authorities with some of the poorest-rated establishments for food hygiene nationwide.

Although Birmingham has the most zero star shops at 77, its population of 1.1mmillion means it only has a rate of 6.6 stores per 100,000 population.

A Camden Council spokesman said: 'In Camden we have over 4,000 food premises. While 23 zero-rated establishments account for just 0.5 per cent of these, their identification highlights the vital work our teams do to protect public health and keep consumers informed.

'They similarly collaborate closely with enterprises to guarantee swift enhancements are implemented and superior levels of food cleanliness and safety are upheld.'

The Pendle Council stated that it adhered to the FSA guidelines. Adheres to brand standards and adopts a strict policy against non-compliant food establishments.

Sarah Whitwell, who leads the Housing and Environmental Health department, stated: "We issue enforcement notices, shut down places, and currently have 15 ongoing prosecutions related to problems such as inadequate food safety measures and substandard cleanliness."

We've also boosted the capabilities of the service over the past year to make sure we can swiftly take action against businesses not following regulations and protect the public.

The Council mentioned they supported locals in checking the FSA site for ratings prior to eating out.

Newham Council stated: "Our Food Safety Team actively backs all enterprises, particularly those requiring enhancements, to elevate their standards and assist local companies to flourish."

The Financial Services Authority chose not to comment.

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