Food Hygiene Inspections - IOM Premises Rated 'Zero' or 'One' 2023/24

Summary

The requester sought details on food hygiene ratings and inspection reports for Isle of Man premises rated 0 or 1 between July and December 2024. The authority provided partial information, including specific inspection reports and correspondence for two establishments, while withholding other data under exemptions.

Key Facts

• The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (DEFA) responded to the request on 14 March 2025.
• Inspection reports were released for 'Good Stuff Restaurant' in Ramsey and 'Babbages Bistro'.
• Good Stuff Restaurant was inspected on 29 August 2024 and found to have poor kitchen cleanliness and pest problems.
• Babbages Bistro was inspected in October 2024, with a follow-up visit planned to reassess compliance.
• The response outcome was classified as 'Some information sent but part exempt'.

Data Disclosed

• 31 July 2024
• 31 December 2024
• 29 August 2024
• 31 October 2024
• 14 March 2025
• 27 January 2025
• 0
• 1
• 4401217
• 4289277
• 20/00258/FOOD
• August 2025

Original Request

Further to the detailed disclosures made pursuant to FOI 4289277 submitted 2nd December 2024 I seek further information regarding food hygiene inspections, reports and individual premises ratings viz: Regarding food hygiene ratings awarded (e.g. 0 = 'Urgent Improvement Necessary', 1 = 'Major Improvement Necessary') details of the numerical scale and associated descriptors for each scale used for such ratings. If this is analogous to the 0-5 scale utilised by the Food Standards Agency please advise; and For the period 31 July 2024 to 31st December 2024 inclusive and for premises (restaurants, cafes, takeaways, mobile food outlets etc) open to the general public for the sale of beverages and/or food the date of hygiene inspections together with the inspection report, allied correspondence between the DEFA and individual outlet, and such photographic images taken. This is for premises/outlets that were awarded a 0 or 1 food rating only and excludes such material previously supplied pursuant to FOI 4289277 where details of two such establishments were released.

Data Tables (1)

Data Tables (reformatted)

Full Response Text

From: Neeson, Charlotte To: @goodstuffiom.com" Subject: Inspection Good Stuff Restaurant Aug 2024 Date: 10 September 2024 14:04:44 Attachments: image001.png image003.png Good Afternoon Please accept my apologies for not contacting you sooner with the attached report. As discussed at the time of my inspection, the overall standard of cleanliness within the kitchen was poor and it was disappointing to find these conditions, particularly considering the recent pest problems. I appreciate that you have had to deal with significant staffing issues recently, however you must ensure that your staff maintain a high standard of cleanliness at all times and that the issues outlined in the report are addressed, as soon as possible. I would be grateful if you could provide me with a further update with regards to the pest issues at your earliest convenience and in the meantime, should you reuqrie any further infomraiton, please do not hesitate to contact me. Kind regards Charlotte   Charlotte  Neeson Senior Environmental Health Officer Environmental Health Unit, Regulation Directorate Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture Thie Slieau Whallian, Foxdale Road, St Johns, Isle of Man,IM4 3AS Tel: +44(0)1624 685894 Email: charlotte.neeson@gov.im       REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED Inspection Report Environmental Health Unit Department of Environment Food & Agriculture Thie Slieau Whallian,Foxdale Road, St. John’s IM4 3AS

I inspected your business premises on 29 August 2024 to check compliance with the requirements of food hygiene and relevant health and safety legislation.

Please find below an inspection report outlining my findings and highlighting the priority actions and improvements that are needed to ensure that you are complying with the Food Hygiene Regulations 2007 and associated legislation.

The report also contains advice and suggested timescales for you to address each of the actions identified.

Please note that unannounced revisit inspections may be conducted prior to your next programmed inspection, to review the progress that you have made in addressing the actions listed and assess ongoing compliance with the above legislation.

The report is divided into the following sections:
• Hygienic food handling • Cleanliness and condition of facilities and building • Management of food safety Should you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us, using the details above.

Reference:

20/00258/FOOD Date:

2 September 2024 Inspection Date:

29 August 2024 Next Inspection Due:
August 2025 Inspector:

Charlotte Neeson Telephone:
(01624) 685894 E-mail:

ehenquiries@gov.im

Establishment Name:

Good Stuff Restaurant Establishment Address:

6 Peel Street, Ramsey, Isle of Man IM8 1JH Food Business Operator:
Good Stuff Restaurants Ltd From: Slack, Chloe To: bistro@babbages.im Cc: Blacker, Glenn (DEFA) Subject: Babbages Bistro Date: 31 October 2024 09:04:00 Attachments: image001.png image002.png Good morning   Please find attached your inspection report, if you have any questions please get in touch.   We will revisit the premises in the near future to reassess compliance with the points raised in the report.   Kind regards, Chloe     Chloe Slack BSc(Hons) MSc MCIEH Environmental Health Officer Environmental Health Unit, Regulation Directorate Department of Environment, Food & Agriculture Thie Slieau Whallian, Foxdale Road, St Johns, Isle of Man, IM4 3AS Tel: 01624 685894 Email: chloe.slack@gov.im     P Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail P   REDACTED REDACTED

Freedom of Information Co-ordinator Corporate Services Directorate Thie Slieau Whallian, Foxdale Road, St John’s, Isle of Man, IM4 3AS Tel no (01624) 685854 Fax no (01624 685851 Email: defa@gov.im www.gov.im

Our ref: 4401217 14 March 2025

Dear ###

We write further to your request, received 27 January 2025, which states:

"Further to the detailed disclosures made pursuant to FOI 4289277 submitted 2nd December 2024 I seek further information regarding food hygiene inspections, reports and individual premises ratings viz:

Regarding food hygiene ratings awarded (e.g. 0 = 'Urgent Improvement Necessary', 1 = 'Major Improvement Necessary') details of the numerical scale and associated descriptors for each scale used for such ratings. If this is analogous to the 0-5 scale utilised by the Food Standards Agency please advise; and

For the period 31 July 2024 to 31st December 2024 inclusive and for premises (restaurants, cafes, takeaways, mobile food outlets etc) open to the general public for the sale of beverages and/or food the date of hygiene inspections together with the inspection report, allied correspondence between the DEFA and individual outlet, and such photographic images taken. This is for premises/outlets that were awarded a 0 or 1 food rating only and excludes such material previously supplied pursuant to FOI 4289277 where details of two such establishments were released."

For ease, your Freedom of Information request questions have been numbered and our response is as follows.

Q1 Regarding food hygiene ratings awarded (e.g. 0 = 'Urgent Improvement Necessary', 1 = 'Major Improvement Necessary') details of the numerical scale and associated descriptors for each scale used for such ratings. If this is analogous to the 0-5 scale utilised by the Food Standards Agency please advise

Section 20 While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, under section 20 of the Act, we are not required to provide information in response to a request if it is already reasonably accessible to you, whether free of charge or on payment of a fee. The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (the Department) follow the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme that is used in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Information regarding Food Hygiene Ratings are publicly available and can be found here: https://www.food.gov.uk/safety-hygiene/food-hygiene-rating-scheme

Q2 For the period 31 July 2024 to 31st December 2024 inclusive and for premises (restaurants, cafes, takeaways, mobile food outlets etc) open to the general public for the sale of beverages and/or food the date of hygiene inspections together with the inspection report, allied correspondence between the DEFA and individual outlet, and such photographic images taken. This is for premises/outlets that were awarded a 0 or 1 food rating only and excludes such material previously supplied pursuant to FOI 4289277 where details of two such establishments were released.

The Department have enclosed copies of the information that is being released to you for the following food establishments:

• Babbages Bistro • Good Stuff Restaurant

To offer advise and assistance, a follow up visit to Babbages Bistro was conducted on 31 January. A copy of the email that followed that visit is enclosed for your reference.

Section 31(1)(b) – Investigations and Legal Proceedings While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the information is exempt from disclosure pursuant to section 31(1) of the Act as it is information held by the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture for the purposes of an investigation, conducted by the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture, that in the circumstances may lead to criminal proceedings being instituted.

As section 31 is a qualified exemption, it is subject to a public interest test. The public interest must be something that is of serious concern and benefit to the public at large.

Factors in favour of disclosure • Openness and transparency
• Promoting public understanding of processes
• Upholding standards of integrity
• Subject to outcome, information would likely be available following completion of investigation

Factors in favour of withholding • Enforcement investigation ongoing under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, Food Act 1996 or Food Hygiene Regulations 2007
• Information should remain protected during investigation stage
• The outcome of the investigations or proceedings will be at risk
• Outcome of investigation may lead to enforcement proceedings
• Subject to outcome, information would likely be available to requester following completion of investigations

In taking these factors into account the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture determined that the factors in favour of maintaining the exemption outweigh the factors in favour of disclosing the information.

Please quote the reference number 4401217 in any future communications.

Your right to request a review

If you are unhappy with this response to your freedom of information request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by completing a complaint form and submitting it electronically or by delivery/post.

An electronic version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website at https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/Review . If you would like a paper version of our complaint form to be sent to you by post, please contact me and I will be happy to arrange for this. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made as soon as practicable. We will respond as soon as the review has been concluded.

If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner for a decision on; 1. Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015; or 2. Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested.
In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in making any subsequent decision. More detailed information on your right to a review can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website at www.inforights.im. Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me. Further information about freedom of information requests can be found at www.gov.im/foi.

I will now close your request as of this date.