New Burger King gets worst hygiene score in country

The Tunbridge Wells restaurant was criticised for using “dirty and greasy” equipment

A new Burger King restaurant in Kent was given the lowest food hygiene rating of any of the chain’s branches in the country.

The Tunbridge Wells site was criticised by a food hygiene inspector from the borough council for using “dirty and greasy” equipment.

It was given a one-star rating but the council said the problems at the Mount Pleasant Road eaterie had now been fixed, and the site had since been given five stars.

A Burger King spokesman said it took all issues on food safety and hygiene “extremely seriously”, and was working to maintain its new five-star rating.

The food hygiene inspector visited the fast food outlet in August and gave it a rating of one out of five, meaning “major improvements” were necessary, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The report said: “The probe thermometer that you are using for checking temperatures during cooking of food was dirty and greasy, and therefore is not being adequately cleaned and disinfected between uses.

“There is a risk of cross-contamination if the probe is used on food that is not fully cooked and then used again on a cooked or ready to eat food without adequate disinfection in between.”

The restaurant has been open in the Grade II-listed building since August.

The town centre site was previously occupied by WHSmith, with Burger King submitting a planning application to take it over in September 2023.

The Burger King spokesman added: “The environmental health officer revisited the restaurant, and it now has a five-star rating after we conducted a full internal audit and implemented all corrective actions.

“We are working closely with environmental health officers to maintain this five-star rating.”