Best Kebab Ye 'disappointed' with food hygiene rating of 1

Best Kebab Ye, in Bellegrove Road, said it was "disappointed" with the rating, which was issued after an inspection on January 11.

The restaurant's owner, Mikail Tunc, claimed that "the inspector failed to acknowledge the pages we had in our hygiene booklet".

Mr Tunc stressed the score was more to do with an administrative oversight rather than a reflection of their overall cleanliness.

He said: "As a team, we are disappointed with our recent rating, and while we respect the score, we believe it does not reflect our actual hygiene standards.

"Rather, it is due to a shortfall in the necessary documents required to achieve a better score.

"We had the documents at hand but the inspector failed to acknowledge the pages we had in our hygiene booklet."

However, a follow-up visit on January 15 found the staff still unable to provide their copy of the food safety management procedures.

Best Kebab Ye appealed the decision of the food hygiene officer, and the matter was then passed onto a senior officer who concluded that the correct score had been given.

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Bexley Council said that "the performance of a food business operator will not solely be based on a lack of documentation".

They emphasised a food hygiene inspection also assesses structural requirements and management control procedures.

A spokesperson for the council assured that they "do not penalise businesses unfairly".

Despite the issues, Best Kebab Ye remains committed to improving the situation and maintaining customer trust.

The owner said: "We want to thank our loyal customer base for their support, and we want to assure them that we are taking swift action to address this issue.

"An inspection has already been scheduled for the next few weeks, and we are hopeful that we will be able to improve our rating.

"We value our customers' trust and will continue to work hard to ensure the safety and quality of our food."