A café in Erith has closed after it was given a one-star food hygiene rating from the Food Standards Agency.

The Bookstore Café at The Old Library on Walnut Tree Road was rated one-out-of-five on Wednesday, June 28.

This means that the food hygiene at The Bookstore Café needs “major improvement”.

A spokesperson for the Bookstore’s board, The Exchange, says the closure is in place to “rectify issues” through renewed and improved hygiene training for staff, getting paperwork up to date and ensuring that the kitchen and front of house are in the “best condition” they can and should be.

Food Standards Agency (FSA) inspects businesses across the country, assessing hygiene and safety, structural compliance, and confidence in management.

Across the UK, every food outlet including convenience stores, restaurants, hospitals, and care homes are given a hygiene rating.

The Bookstore café in Erith was rated the following:

Hygienic food handing: Includes preparation, cooking, re-heating, cooling and storage: Improvement necessary

Cleanliness and condition of facilities and building: Includes having an appropriate layout, ventilation, hand washing facilities and pest control to enable good food hygiene: Improvement necessary

Management of food safety: Checks in place to ensure food sold or served is safe to eat, evidence that staff know about food safety, and the food safety officer has confident that standards will be maintained in future: Major improvement necessary

Last month a spokesperson for The Bookstore Café said they were given until August 1 to make improvements, and staff were “delighted” to say they had been completed.

The statement said: "Over the last couple of months, The Bookstore has found it difficult to keep up to date with its usually high standards of management procedures and practices.

"This is due to the continued pressures of rising costs, and the challenges of recruitment in the hospitality sector.

"This meant that when a Food Safety Officer visited us a couple of weeks ago, we were given until August 1 to make all necessary improvements.

"We are delighted to say that these have now been completed and we look forward to our next visit from the Food Safety Team.”

Despite this, The Board of the Exchange said “the best course of action” is for The Bookstore to remain closed for a while longer, as it will allow the leadership to “recharge their batteries” before returning and instigating changes.

The Board of the Exchange has said it is taking the issues “extremely seriously” and are supporting staff to develop and implement the procedures required to rectify the situation.

The full statement from The Board said: “Dear members, stakeholders, and The Exchange Community, “The Bookstore recently had a visit from the Food Safety team.

"The results of that report were quite serious, highlighting major improvement required.

"We made the decision to close The Bookstore in order to rectify these issues through renewed and improved hygiene training for our staff, getting our paperwork up to date, and ensuring that our kitchen and front of house are in the best condition they can and should be.

“The Board of The Exchange would like to assure our members, stakeholders and the wider community that we take the issues The Bookstore is currently facing extremely seriously.

“We are actively supporting Louisa, Sarah and Peter to develop and implement the procedures required to rectify the situation.

“The senior leadership of The Exchange have steered it through the COVID pandemic and a cost of living crisis, which has been both stressful and tiring.

“As such, the Board recognises the need to prioritise their well-being and the need for a break to rest and recuperate.

“Consequently, the best course of action is for The Bookstore to remain closed for a while longer, as this will allow the leadership to recharge their batteries before returning and instigating changes, ensuring customers receive the highest standard of service possible going forward.

“During The Bookstore’s closure, we will thoroughly investigate the root causes of our failings.

“The Board and Directors will then develop an interim and long-term strategy to ensure all required changes are sustainable.

“To each of you who have supported and invested in the success of The Bookstore and The Exchange, the Board would like to apologise for our failings. We will not offer excuses but commit to improving to win back your trust.

“The Exchange, including The Garden Room and workshops, will remain open to the community as usual.

“It is only The Bookstore that will be closed.”