The owner of a new soft play cafe in Hornchurch has said she is "so upset" after the business' food hygiene was graded before it even opened.
Ojas Play Cafe, in High Street, was handed a one out of five for its food hygiene after an inspection by the Food Standards Agency on December 13.
However, the business did not officially open until January 3 - and owner Sonie Singh said "there were builders still in here" when the inspector arrived.
Sonie has now applied for a reinspection, but says she has had to pay £292 to Havering Council to cover the costs.
She told the Recorder: "I'm so upset I could cry.
"In the week that he [the inspector] came, I had a viral infection - me and my son were so sick.
"I wasn't even able to come down - he had to phone me - and I was so sick I could hardly talk.
"This rating does not reflect anything related to hygiene at all, and the inspector himself said [he was] sad he had to give me this score as it was only paperwork."
During the inspection, the FSA officer found that the cleanliness and condition of the facilities were "good" and the hygienic handling of food was "generally satisfactory".
It was only the management of food safety - which includes evidence that staff know about food safety and the checks in place to ensure that food sold is safe to eat - which was deemed to need "major improvement".
Ojas Play Cafe features a soft play area for children under five and a cafe, with a seating area and open-plan serving area.
Sonie called this space "immaculate" and said she spends "a lot of time" keeping it clean.
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She told the Recorder: "As a new business owner, I am incredibly passionate about making Ojas Play Café a welcoming space for all families in the area.
"It’s been a challenging journey, especially with delays during the setup phase.
"We originally aimed to open in December, but due to unforeseen issues with the builders, we weren’t able to open until the 3rd of January."
The small business owner added: "I’ve requested a re-visit to be rated again, as I’m confident the café is now in a much better position to provide a true reflection of what we offer."
A spokesperson for Havering Council said: "We were notified in May 2024 that the business was to be opening and an announced visit was carried out on 13 December 2024.
"Whilst we have very little concerns in the structure and handling of the food, the rating was applied regarding the management of the business.
"The business had the right to appeal the score within 21 days of the first inspection, which they did not do.
"They can also ask us for a right of response on the Food Hygiene Rating System (FHRS) website, such as ‘at the revisit the inspector said we now comply’. This option was not utilised either."
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