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Felt Ill after leaving Cosmo's before. Thought the place was shit and feel somewhat vindicated now. Cosmo's the place everyone was wanking over a few months ago, got zero stars from the council for food hygeine.

Swindon's Top Ten Worst Premises for Food Hygiene


01.09.2009

A Mexican restaurant, two kebab takeaways, an Oriental restaurant and a hotel are some of the latest venues to receive zero stars for food hygiene in Swindon.

La Casa Mexican restaurant and takeaway in Devizes Road and Cosmo Oriental restaurant in Linden Court have both received the lowest possible scores from Swindon Borough Council's Commercial Regulation Team.

The kebab takeaways are Walcot Kebab and Pizzeria in Sussex Square, and Oriental Express in Clive Parade. The hotel is the Ivy Hotel, Moormead Road, Wroughton. They make up a list of the top ten worst food businesses that have received a zero star rating for hygiene this year.

The premises were graded under the council's Scores on Doors scheme.

Food businesses are awarded stars to show how well they comply with food safety legislation. The scheme is based directly on the risk assessment that is carried out by law during a food inspection.

Under the scheme, a score of one star is deemed poor, two is satisfactory, three is good, four is very good and five is excellent.

Zero stars indicate unacceptable hygiene conditions and almost total non-compliance with statutory obligations. Premises with zero star ratings are often found to have poor hygiene, poor cleaning and risk of cross contamination. In the most serious cases, the Council has the authority to use emergency closure powers.

In addition to receiving a certificate, each business receives a full food hygiene report, detailing what needs to be done to comply with the law and recommended good practices to help improve the business even further.

If the work is done and the business continues to maintain the hygiene standards, the score at the next inspection could improve.

Cllr Colin Lovell, Cabinet Member for a Safer and Stronger Borough, said: "The majority of Swindon food businesses do comply with the law and many are very good indeed. Unfortunately a small minority have shown to have very poor standards during the unannounced inspections.

"Star ratings will hopefully give the public more confidence in the places they eat and give them a better understanding of the standards of food hygiene. Hopefully this scheme will encourage businesses to maintain a good standard."

Since the Scores on Doors scheme was introduced in Swindon in April 2007, 1,159 inspections of food businesses have been completed by environmental health officers, who sit within the Commercial Regulation Team.

List of Premises with Zero Stars

Currently, the ten premises with zero stars (with the date of the latest inspection) are as follows:

Hythe Road Stores, Hythe Road (21 January 2009)

Lower Shaw Farm, Old Shaw Lane (3 March 2009)

La Casa, 6 Devizes Road (19 May 2009)

Princetons Grill, 8 Market Street (22 May 2009)

M Nawaz Food Store, 105 Broad Street (18 June 2009)

Oriental Express, 8 Clive Parade (21 July 2009)

Cosmo Restaurant, Linden Court, Holbrook Way (9 July 2009)

UK Leisurewear, In House Catering, Unit 1 Westmead Drive (15 July 2009)

Walcot Kebab & Pizzeria, 14 Sussex Square (8 July 2009)

Ivy Hotel, Moormead Road, Wroughton (16 July 2009)

I like Cosmo! Hopefully they'll sort it out, it'd be a shame to feel like I couldn't go there because of hygiene worries when the food is so good

bloody hell, i would hate to know what there kitchens are like, my kitchen got 3 stars and i thought we were shit!!!

If I put it in context and say that every McDonalds in Swindon gets 5 stars, I think that should worry a few people.

Edit: And my local pub got 1*. I wish I hadn't looked.

los gatos got 5 stars, i take it ben isnt working there anymore?

guess where I'm going for lunch today!!

McDonalds?

well, after reading that - that might be a better plan

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm i was in cosmos on saturday.

the merlin got 4 stars
county ground hotel got 3 stars
legends lounge got 3 stars
cricket club got 1 star!!

cosmo i've visited once.it was ok i suppose and there was plenty of choice but it was like a canteen and their curries were shit.

"Cosmo's the place everyone was wanking over a few months ago,"

maybe that was the problem..

where is the full listing of scores?

oh God Im supposed to be booking Cosmos for someone leaving so in a couple of weeks!

But saying that Ive been ill after eating at the CG before

cosmos was crap last weekend, food was cold, curries as already stated were awful and the general place was a mess. although a waitress tipped a food trolley over when bringing out to refill ... priceless

http://194.73.99.13/publicaccess/EH/CPFood/foodregister_searchform.aspx (http://194.73.99.13/publicaccess/EH/CPFood/foodregister_searchform.aspx)

Searchable database in case anyone is going out for dinner.

Hythe Road Stores.... I feel very proud, as should you fB

I won't say that I was surprised that my dad god 5 stars, but they probably got a bit lucky on inspection day. It's mostly common sense though and I hate to think what state it would have to be in to get 0 stars.

Jesus that just clicked. Bloke in there's a right grumpy bastard. All about the much nicer Kent Road shop.

Cosmo is a bit crap really, never understood the big fuss when most of the food has been sitting out for a while and is a bit blah.

La Casa is one of the worst places I have ever eaten.  Really, really mediocre food - I honestly think it would be better to buy an Old El Paso kit and stay at home rather than go there!!!

Lower Shaw Farm, Old Shaw Lane (3 March 2009)

That one's a bit local. Didn't even realise they had a restaurant though.

If "Zero stars indicate unacceptable hygiene conditions and almost total non-compliance with statutory obligations", why do they allow them to stay open? Shouldn't they be shutting them down on the spot?

My kid asked me to recommend somewhere to take his mother for lunch t'other day, I said Cosmo got good reviews from the cunts discerning punters...on the TEF, so maybe you could try that.

He reckoned it was the home of chavs..crap, cackamundo, and thought I'd completely gone senile.

Although nowt wrong with a bit of food poisoning for ex wives.  :)

this was 2 months back so i can only assume they have cleaned up their acts, each time ive been there ive never had or even seen a problem

I've never got the fuss arounbd Cosmo? been twice and was shit on both occasions but i had no choice in the matter as it was with the ex's family.

La Casa was also another big let down, as already said staying in with an Old El Paso kit would be alot better.

  Here's the wanking over Cosmo thread....take a bow Gary Stanley.

 http://thetownend.com/index.php/topic,32405.0.html

 The two most ardent Cosmo fans Jan Aage and Bushey....no longer post...perhaps they've died.

Some people seem to think that 'food quality' is linked to 'food hygiene'. There is not necessarily a link between the two. Surveys like this are crap and give a totally false impression. I wouln't take it at face value.     From my experience 'unannounced inspections' are quite rare : most establishments are given prior warning, so that their eventual 'hygiene status' is totally unrealistic. I believe totally in zero tolerance in this instance, not a 'softly, softly' approach. McDonalds do well, perhaps because food hygiene standards are instilled from the outset. All inspections should be unannounced. Fuck 'emergency closure powers' and 'if the work is done'. Caterers should be aware of food standards and hygiene law - if they fail, then a prosecution or heavy fine will sort them out. We can then all sleep peacefully.

Who?

There's some bloke in the Civic Offices for starters...

Its all about the Swindon Rendezvous/Le Rendezvous :D

I do. Certainly they're not the same thing but to say there's no correlation is just daft.

I reckon it depends on what sort of place it is. I'd go as far to be a bit distrustful of a kebabery that got a high mark, they should be spending more time making delicious greasy grimey horribleness for my drunken needs instead of cleaning.

But yeah if somewhere's failing something which isn't exactly rocket science, then you have to wonder what other corners they're cutting.

I am a massive snob, and as a result I've never been to Cosmos.

This report makes me feel vindicated.

ditto, and the Italian I frequent got 5 stards. Jobs a good'un

              Erm...those who thought that Cosmo was good or refer to an El Paso kit. Surely they would be oblivious to any laid down hygiene criteria ?

Unless they catch Grid off some uncooked chicken. You'd have to wonder what Mr. Chef was doing to the chickens for that to happen though.

I quite like Cosmo for a cheap feed. This won't change my mind either.  I will never go back to La Casa, because i thought the food was crap.

Bushey is alive. Although he talks about he is totally obsessed about his wedding and thinks about it 24/7. No room for football or cosmo. Even though he has another 13 months to go.

It's always a shame to see a good man bite the dust....

               Yes, of course, there CAN be some correlation but it isn't done and dusted. One can eat a good curry where hygiene standards are poor but also pay for a load of crap where hygiene standards are top notch.

I still went there today.

Not a problem and still stuffed.

As I say I feel vindicated now :D

On a lighter note : there are certain rumours regarding curry houses, many of which are substantiated. Years ago I visited a friend who was finishing his shift as chef at a local curry house. A poker session was on the cards. Then, who walks in - only my ex-girlfriend with the 'new boyfriend'. An added ingredient spiced up her (and his) Chicken Korma. After telling me she wouldn't swallow, I guess I had the last laugh of sorts. More disturbingly, my chef friend pointed to a jar on a shelf. As he started giggling I stopped abruptly.

I've also never been to Cosmo. I expect it's good for cheap buffet food but that type of food is never great.

Is that @Fusion place still open at Shaw Ridge? If it is never ever eat there, even if you're starving.

what happens with the kebab vans? these dont seem to have hand washing-toilet facilties.alot dont even have a fridge.
are these legal.or like gypsies-ie blind eye's turned?

They are probably classified as selling waste products in which case they pass with flying colours.

Id still eat at Cosmo.

I expect if the Council were to give my Kitchen a star rating it would only be a 2 star,im a bloke I dont tend to clean stuff that cant be seen.Im a scumbag.

Jan Aage is also alive, and also getting hitched. Coincidence?

Eating at Cosmo causes marriage! Avoid!

5 stars for Luci  :nod: (not the group either)

I still pride myself on the fact Ive never eaten a kebab or a pot noodle!

What about a kebab flavoured pot noodle?

I haven't eaten a pot noodle for a good 10-15 years.
I haven't had a kebab for well over a year, that's only because the kebab van near me (Coate) is no longer there any more since they filled in that layby on Queens Drive.

just thought i'd update you on my trip to cosmo last night,
Firstly im still alive which must be a good thing, And i can say i dont see what the fuss was about and i dont think the other 300 diner did either, by 8pm the place was full and people were queing to get a table, so obviously people dont read the paper or they know half the time the adver is full of shit, the food was good (not fantastic but good) on my way to the toilet i had a few sneaky peaks in the kitchen and could not see anything that would concern me.

I can assure you I know the difference between food hygiene and food quality; however, I do believe there is a correlation, letting lukewarm food sit out and congeal until some sucker eats it because there is nothing left is NOT the way to gurantee food hygiene.

Unfortunately, the only way I can pass comment on these places is having EATEN in them, as I have never actually personally inspected the kitchens there.  Cruddy end product = they couldn't give a shit about the quality of what they serve, therefore in my opinion it is likely that hygiene is pretty low on the list of priorities too.

the adver print the results,not conduct the survey.
cosmos looks good from the resturant side,but it could and must have been pretty disgusting in the kitchen to get a zero score.

Good point.

I'd  personally recommend the freshly made sandwiches at the Glue Pot which is in the near vicinity of Cosmos' :yum:

is that with their home made "mayonaise"?

Nah, bit lumpy for my liking (and that is liking not licking).