Popular Ryde restaurant Catch has been handed a damning food hygiene rating of zero – the lowest possible score – after inspectors uncovered out-of-date food, filthy conditions, contamination risks and a failure to control pests.
The full inspection report reveals a catalogue of serious breaches following a visit by Environmental Health officers on 20th August – the height of the Summer season when the establishment should be at its busiest.
The food handling, cleanliness and management practices at the Appley venue were found to be so inadequate that the premises were marked at the very bottom of the official rating scale.
Inspectors found food being stored and served well beyond its ‘use by’ date, including items like wasabi mayo, burger sauce, chorizo and mustard. In one case, goat’s cheese dated 4th August was still on site. Staff were also unable to say when a container of chicken stock had been opened, and raw bacon was discovered in a container incorrectly labelled as “Biscoff biscuits”.
One of the more alarming breaches involved squid tubes, which had been defrosted in water and refrigerated for later use, despite clear instructions from the manufacturer stating they must be used immediately once thawed.
The level of cleanliness across the kitchen was described as ‘very poor’, with grease, food debris and mould found on surfaces, equipment and fridge seals. Even fire extinguishers were caked in dirt. Inspectors said it was clear the cleaning regime had been insufficient for some time, despite staff logging daily checks.
A deep clean was carried out the evening of the inspection, but officials have warned that this standard must now be consistently maintained.
Additional concerns were raised over the poor condition of equipment and fittings, including cracked fridge seals, rusting shelving, flaking paint and bare wood around food service areas, all of which pose risks of contamination.
Environmental Health also documented clear evidence of pest control failures. Flies were observed in the kitchen, landing on equipment and near food, and the electric fly killer was not even switched on at the time of the inspection.
Management at the restaurant have been told to urgently improve food safety systems, maintain daily standards of cleanliness, follow storage instructions, and implement strict pest control measures if they wish to avoid enforcement action.
Island Echo has contacted Catch for comment, but no response has been received.
Food Hygiene Rating – Scores on the doors
Compliance with food hygiene and safety procedures – 15
Compliance with structural requirements – 20
Confidence in management/control procedures – 20
Total score: 55 (0 rating)
This filth hole should be shut down immediately and never be
ALLOWED to trade again!
The pandemic never taught anyone cleanliness etc.
Shut it down, how many other filth holes are trading and
serving up out of date sh*t!
Shocking.
The Catch have been caught hook line and sinker.
“Filthy animals”
Much healthier to eat at home.
Wonder if they’ll be deep-cleaning the name….it will be forever referred to as ‘Catch Salmonella/E Coli/Listeria/Campylobacter….
Sounds like most places here then
I can only name a few places on the island
I would trust to serve up clean food.
Certainly not a place to go for even coffee then
What score is needed to be shut down?
Bit like speeding on the island, the faster you go
the least likely you will bet fined.
It’s an island thing.
Just because it has a fancy label doesn’t make it good!
A Message from Catch this morning
We want to speak openly and honestly with you about our recent food hygiene inspection.
The restaurant received a 0 rating during a visit in August. This is a serious outcome, and we take full responsibility. On the day of the inspection, we voluntarily closed immediately so we could put everything right.
The following morning, the Environmental Health Officer returned and carried out a full re-inspection. We are proud to share that we were rated Excellent and approved to fully reopen for service.
We are aware of press coverage that has referenced findings not consistent with the official Environmental Health Officer’s report. We will be picking this up with those outlets directly. However, this isn’t about pointing fingers — it’s about addressing concerns openly and ensuring our customers have confidence in us moving forward.
Since the inspection we have:
• Carried out a complete deep clean of the premises.
• Put in place new systems and independent regular checks to maintain the highest standards.
• Undertaken additional staff training to ensure every member of the team upholds these standards without exception.
For context, this summer has been the most difficult chapter of our lives. In April, Ben was diagnosed with what was initially thought to be an inoperable cancerous sarcoma. We pushed through the next couple of months with unsuccessful Chemotherapy, juggling two businesses and trying to hold our family together. In early August, we were given the chance for him to undergo major surgery in Birmingham — an opportunity that could save his life. Naturally, we took it.
This meant that during the early weeks of August, while we navigated surgery and recovery, the restaurant was left without us at the helm. In hindsight, we should have closed temporarily. Instead, not wanting to let customers down, we left operations in what we believed were capable hands. Unfortunately, standards slipped — and that responsibility rests with us.
We are truly sorry for letting our community down. Your trust means everything to us, and we are determined to ensure that every visit to Catch Seafood & Grill is one you can enjoy with complete confidence.
With gratitude,
Nikita & Ben
Catch Seafood & Grill
Sorry – too little too late. You clearly have no standards appropriate for catering.
Sorry, but the owners excuses blaming health is unforgivable. In the middle of my husband having chemotherapy he had a pulmonary embolism and X4 nearly fatal episodes of sepsis but I still managed to get five star Gold in cleaning my premises.
Too late, once tarnished always tarnished.
The island is a goldfish bowl and people talk.
Locals will boycott such places.
“The following morning, the Environmental Health Officer returned and carried out a full re-inspection. We are proud to share that we were rated Excellent and approved to fully reopen for service.”
I can’t see the new rating on the council website!
It doesn’t give excellent ratings.
Its doubtful you can sorta 0 rating in one day so who says it’s now excellent?
You really have to almost try to be bad to get a zero. Unforgivable in a tourist location, this sort of quality of service can have a wider impact on visitor confidence. People start to think “Isle of Wight? Isn’t that a load of dodgy sea front cafes”?
This establishment even tried to market itself to higher income customers, but “greasy spoons” are run better that this.
A zero score isn’t about the staff, not entirely anyway. It shows very poor management and/or ownership. Maybe time for a change.
Staff are too blame owners pay them their wages and
they are responsible to check food dates etc
For crying out loud, give them a break.
Such a rating IS bad. They were having issues and were let down. It shouldn’t have happened, they admit that. Staff got complacent in their absence. They immediately rectified the problems. A subsequent inspection was passed as excellent, and I expect they will be getting more frequent inspections from now on.
I expect they will be an extremely clean establishment from now on.
They time to condemn is IF such a rating is repeated. THEN shut them down.
I hope the owner, and his business recovers.
What a lot of fuss and righteous outrage. As my dear wife used to say, a bit of dirt never hurt anyone. She died of food poisoning and I still miss her.
sounds like you go in for a squid and come out with the squids
Not surprised, especially when admissions like they have “Put in place new systems and independent regular checks to maintain the highest standards.” are made, which should have been there on the very first day of trading.