More than 100 eateries and restaurants across the Island are currently awaiting food hygiene inspections, with the Isle of Wight Council admitting that inspections haven’t taken place at their usual rate as a result of a COVID-19 backlog.
During the COVID-19 pandemic inspections were halted whilst social distancing was enforced.
When it was then possible to continue conducting inspections once again a new system was introduced that meant establishments that pose a risk to the public were prioritised.
This means that there is now a large number of establishments that serve food on the Island that are currently operating without a food hygiene rating.
1 such business that is still awaiting its Environmental Health inspection is Hungry Bear in Brading. The eatery moved to Brading back in October 2020 having previously been located at the Lavender Farm in Newport and then Fakenham Farm in St Helens.
After nearly 2-and-a-half years in Brading, the premises has still not been visited by inspectors. It is currently closed until Saturday 28th January for a winter break.
But it’s not alone… KFC in Lake – which opened all the way back in January 2019 – has also not been visited yet.
A total of 108* such establishments require a visit by the Council officials, including The Bugle Coaching Inn in Yarmouth, The Buddle Inn in Niton, Long Island in Newport.
It is unclear when the process, given that almost all COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted, will be conducted in the same way it was pre-pandemic.
An Isle of Wight Council spokesperson has told Island Echo:
“Since the pandemic, the Business Regulation team are working on a recovery plan which includes resuming food hygiene inspections. This is in line with the guidance from the Food Standards Agency and an inspection programme that is based on the relative risk of a particular premise and the available officer resources”.
You can see a full list of food hygiene ratings for the Isle of Wight at https://ratings.food.gov.uk/enhanced-search/en-GB/%5E/isle%20of%20wight/Relevance/0/%5E/%5E/0/1/10.
*Information correct to the Food Standards Agency database as of 9th January
Imagine if the public sector bureaucrats in county hall were put on real performance related pay for delivering actual services to Isle of Wight residents ( not the ridiculous way they measure themselves internally) – we’d be entitled to massive refunds on our council tax bills dating back decades
Typical of the Isle of Wight Council, take our money and don’t deliver.
Can this utterly useless council do anything properly?
I think we can safely say that their wage and pensions department is operating efficiently enough to never cause them any delays there???
Had ours at the wellington hotel ventnor we got 5*
I imagine it’s difficult to assess anywhere when half or more of the staff are working from home. Time for the council to recall all the staff back to work, and completely change their working practices. Not many places close for 3 weeks over Xmas nowadays
The council are a waste of time
I don’t suppose they can afford to pay inspectors after shelling out all that money for a new chief exec!
Convid the gift that keeps on giving and the excuse will be used forever more
The places that haven’t been inspected should not be open and then claim off the council loss of earning from previous years tax return ,,,, that would get the councils asses moving
What are the councils Environmental Health team doing? Some of these premises are high risk care homes, pre school and pubs which were overdue an inspection prior to 2020 lockdown and still haven’t been completed as a priority yet?? Someone needs to be held accountable for this poor performance. Inspections resumed late 2021. Are other councils struggling like this?
Covid-19 is no longer an excuse. They cannot hide behind it now. I suspect that they are short of Inspectors.