Is new ratings scheme bad news Brick Lane touts?

You now don’t need to guess the hygiene rating of a restaurant you want to visit.

It’s all been rated for you already under a scheme supported by the Food Standards Association, and you can now access this anytime.

Under the new scheme called Scores on the Doors, restaurant and food outlets are rated according to their latest food hygiene inspection reports, enabling consumers to make informed choices about where to eat.

One of the areas in East London known especially for its restaurants is Brick Lane, a narrow street sliced between Whitechapel and Bethnal Green High Road.

Every night, hundreds of people from all over London patronise the several curry houses.

Noisy touts are perched at the doors of these restaurants, competing for customers to come in to their particular spots.

Is Scores on the Doors a good thing? Of-course it is for the thousands of people living in the capital.

It’s especially good news for us in East London.

A friend once went to do some work at a restaurant in Brick Lane.

He said he was appalled at the cockroaches and dirt behind the scenes.

He was also shocked at the way the workers in the kitchen prepared the food.

As part of the scheme, businesses will also be issued with a certificate and window sticker with their star rating on.

This is currently voluntary.

Discussions are taking place to make it a legal requirement for all London businesses to display their star rating.

Now if it becomes compulsory for restaurants to display their ratings on the door, what would become of our colourful touts in Bricklane?

Will they need to entice customers to come in when a mere FSA badge will say it all?

To view your favourite restaurant’s ratings check out www.yourlondon.gov.uk/foodscores.

Happy eating!