It may shock you to find some of your favourite restaurants and takeaways across south west Hertfordshire have failed to meet basic hygiene requirements and have been hit by a zero rating.
There are more than 60 businesses who received the lowest grading in the Food Standards Agency's (FSA) national food hygiene rating scheme after inspectors paid a visit.
See if your favourite is listed below.
Watford:
La Bottega Italiana, Market Street, Watford
Rated ZERO in October 2015
Alibaba Tandoori Restaurant, King Street, Watford
Rated ZERO in March
Carpenders Park Convenience Store, The Parade, Watford
Rated ZERO in December
Happy Garden, The Brow, Watford
Rated ZERO in March
Madani Halal Butchers and Grocers, St Albans Road, Watford
Rated ZERO in June 2015
Meat and Shake, Intu Watford
Rated ONE in February
Millie’s Cookies, Intu Watford
Rated ONE in March
Ponti’s, Intu Watford
Rated ONE in June
Costcutters, Owen Square, Watford
Rated ONE in September 2015
MEC Snack Bar, Elton Way, Watford
Rated ONE in March 2015
Bloc Direct, Greenhill Crescent, Watford
Rated ONE in July
Country Kitchen, Greenhill Crescent, Watford
Rated ONE in October 2015
McMechi, Vicarage Road, Watford
Rated ONE in March
St James’s Road Church Pre-School, St James’s Road, Watford
Rated ONE September 2015
The Wellington Arms, Woodford Road, Watford
Rated August 2016
Tony and Maria’s Café, Greenhill Crescent, Watford
Rated ONE in July
Café India, The Parade, Watford
Rated ONE in December
Centrepoint Supermarket, Raphael Drive, Watford
Rated ONE in February 2015
Claypot, St Albans Road, Watford
Rated ONE in March
D And D Newsagents, Bushey Mill Lane, Watford
Rated ONE in September 2015
Ferhat Food Centre, Market Street, Watford
Rated ONE in October
First Choice Convenience Store, Longspring, Watford
Rated ONE in May 2015
Flaming House, Queens Road, Watford
Rated ONE in October
Football Café, Vicarage Road, Watford
Rated ONE in March
Fresh Banana Leaf, Harwoods Road, Watford
Rated ONE in June
H & H Grill & Sweets, Queens Avenue, Watford
Rated ONE in January
Hin Garden, Vicarage Road, Watford
Rated ONE in March
Hot Stuff Balti House, The Parade, Watford
Rated ONE in July
Islamic Food Store, Leavesden Road, Watford
Rated ONE in November
Khyber Halal Meat, Market Street, Watford
Rated ONE in July 2015
Knutsford Food and Wine, St Albans Road, Watford
Rated ONE in September 2015
Kool Runnings, St Albans Road, Watford
Rated ONE in March
Lollo Rosso, Queens Road, Watford
Rated ONE in August
Londis, Garston Park, Watford
Rated ONE in August
Melo Café, Whippendell Road, Watford
Rated ONE in November
Meriden Post Office, The Gossamers, Watford
Rated ONE in April 2013
Milana Pizza, Langley Road, Watford
Rated ONE in February 2015
New Imperial Takeaway, Queens Road, Watford
Rated ONE in March
News Express (AM 2 PM), St Albans Road, Watford
Rated ONE in March 2015
NW Supermarket, St Albans Road, Watford
Rated ONE in October
Prince of Bengal, Langley Way, Watford
Rated ONE in September 2015
Quick Shop, Clarendon Road, Watford
Rated ONE in June 2015
Rabbani’s British Indian Cuisine, The Parade, Watford
Rated ONE in November
Smit Newsagents, Euston Avenue, Watford
Rated ONE in June 2015
The Grill Watford, St Albans Road, Watford
Rated ONE in March
The Nest, Bushey Mill Lane, Watford
Rated ONE in May 2015
Toad Hall Nursery, Hempstead Road, Watford
Rated ONE in March
Tudor Café, Bushey Mill Lane, Watford
Rated ONE in August
Vimco Superstores, Whippendell Road, Watford
Rated ONE in February 2015
Watford Ex Service & Social Club, St Albans Road, Watford
Rated ONE in March 2015
Watford Pizza, St Albans Road, Watford
Rated ONE in July
Zeb Super Stores, Whippendell Road, Watford
Rated ONE in June
Bushey and Aldenham:
Eat-Well Diner Ltd, Aldenham Road, Bushey
Rated ZERO in April
Buono Italian Limited, High Road, Bushey Heath
Rated ONE in July
Costcutters, Bournehall Avenue, Bushey
Rated ONE in August 2015
Farmyard Funworld, Lincolnsfield Centre, Bushey
Rated ONE in June
Kandy Café, Bushey Hall Road, Bushey
Rated ONE in December
Rosewood Stores, Aldenham Road, Bushey
Rated ONE in March 2015
Surma, Bushey Mill Lane, Bushey
Rated ONE in January
Three Rivers:
Standard Tandoori Restaurant, Watford Road, Croxley Green
Rated ZERO in August
What does this mean?
Businesses with one or zero ratings must make urgent or major improvement to the hygiene standards.
Food outlets are rated from 0-5 on three main criteria, including how food is prepared, cooked and stored, food safety, and the condition of the premises.
Establishments given a rating of zero or one are very likely to be performing poorly in all three elements and are likely to have a history of serious problems.
There may, for example, be a lack of sufficient cleaning and disinfection, and there may not be a good enough system of management in place to check and record what the business does to make sure the food is safe.
The Observer compiled a list of eateries within the area rated one or below in 2014.
Are you shocked by any of these? Comment below or email steven.brown@london.newsquest.co.uk.
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