1 week Ago By [email protected] (Davina Jethwa)
A restaurant boss says he has issued redundancy warning letters and could be kicked off food delivery platform Deliveroo after being hit with a one-star hygiene rating. Jonny Wall, who runs street food stalls, Notorious BRG and We Are Chicken, at Lockmeadow Food Hall, may have to close his eateries following a recent inspection. The cafeteria in Barker Road, Maidstone was launched in 2021 as part of a £900,000 regeneration of Lockmeadow Entertainment Centre which is owned by the local authority but managed by Fidum.
Currently, it is home to six food stalls - Notorious BRG and its sister stand We Are Chicken, Flour Power, Streetfood by Easydine, Aroi Dee and Perfect Pulled Pork. All but the latter two have been hit with one-star ratings following “surprise” inspections from Environmental Health officers throughout February. But, Jonny, who also runs a burger restaurant in Canterbury, says he could be forced to close his doors in the county town after “being left to carry the consequences” of a situation he did not create.
During the visit by the health and safety team, inspectors identified four issues at his stalls - three of which have already been addressed. The restaurant boss said: “The fourth relates to a design flaw in the front shutters, which contain holes that were part of the original construction—a building owned and installed by Maidstone Borough Council. “This is not a hygiene issue caused by us, but a structural one created and now maintained by the very same council who issued the rating.
“We’ve also been told we should not even book a revisit until the shutter issue is resolved, yet the responsibility to fix it lies entirely with the council and their property management team.” The council confirmed it would look to fix the shutter by the end of April. Until now, Notorious B.
R.G has never received less than a five-star hygiene rating across all of its sites, including Maidstone. But the impact of the latest inspection findings on the business has been “severe”.
Deliveroo has given the eatery 21 days to prove the issues are resolved and a visit is scheduled or it will no longer allow them to use its service. A spokesperson for the food delivery company confirmed all its partners must have a minimum rating of two – any business that falls below this is flagged via a live feed and the restaurant is suspended pending action. Jonny says being removed from the platform would likely force them to close their doors.
Staff have already been informed that their jobs are officially at risk. He added: “We are doing everything in our power to avoid that outcome, but time is running out while we wait for Maidstone Borough Council to resolve a problem of their own making. “While we absolutely respect the importance of food safety, the inspection was extremely limited – our due diligence logs, temperature records, and food safety paperwork were never reviewed.
“This rating does not reflect the reality of our hygiene standards. “We’re proud of our food, our team, and our role in the local community but right now, instead of being supported, we’re being left to carry the consequences of a situation we didn’t create.” Flour Power, a bakery whose stall is located near the centre entrance, say they are disappointed to have also been handed a poor rating over factors they have “little control over within the building”.
A spokesperson said: “Ourselves and the management team at Lockmeadow are working closely with the Environmental Health officer to get it sorted as fast as possible. “Flour Power is applying for a rescore soon - we have no idea when other than it will be carried out within the next three months. “We are confident we will be back to our 5* rating in no time.
“We take pride in our cleanliness as a business and are very disappointed to have been granted such a low score due to factors that we have little control over within the building.“ Streetfood by Easydine, which is located by the escalators leading to Odeon, Gravity and Hollywood Bowl, declined to comment. A spokesperson for the council said Lockmeadow Entertainment Centre has been working closely with its tenants and contractors to ensure it upholds “excellent standards” which its visitors expect.
They added: “The management of Lockmeadow Entertainment Centre has met with Maidstone Borough Council Environmental Health Officers to address the points raised as part of their inspection. “Of the recommendations, many have already been completed by Love Food @ Lockmeadow tenants and the centre management. “The remaining few points, including the replacement of roller shutters, will be completed by the deadline at the end of April.
” Property management company Fidum was approached for comment but did not respond at the time of writing. The latest developments at Lockmeadow follow a series of poor hygiene ratings given to seven stores and restaurants at The Mall shopping Centre in the town centre also in February. Two were even forced to temporarily shut after inspectors discovered a “widespread” mice infestations.
KentOnline spoke to some business owners who hit back at the centre owners for not acting on previously reported management issues and had suffered as a result. Speaking on the town’s leisure complex, Jonny said: “Given recent reports of similar large-scale Environmental Health operations in Maidstone—such as those at The Mall—it’s hard not to feel this is part of a wider enforcement effort triggered by recent media coverage, rather than a fair and balanced process.”.
