THE owner of an award-winning Basingstoke restaurant where hygiene standards have fallen is urging customers to visit the kitchen after he disagreed with an inspector’s findings.

Spices and Spirits, in Kings Furlong Drive, has had a turbulent time with hygiene inspections after being given a one-star rating in January 2023.

The popular restaurant, which was declared the Restaurant of the Year 2023 in the UK at the eighth Asian Food and Restaurant Awards International in December, was re-inspected and given a four-star rating in May 2023.

READ MORE: Spices and Spirits given four-star hygiene rating after re-inspection 

Now, Spices and Spirits has received another food hygiene inspection and has been downgraded to a three-star rating, which is considered as ‘generally satisfactory’.

The inspector found all areas of the venue to be ‘generally satisfactory’ including hygienic food handling, cleanliness and condition of the facilities and building and management of food safety following an inspection in January.

Nitin Patil, who owns Spices and Spirits, said he disagrees with the council inspector on the issues raised, claiming they are “not worthy [of] adjusting the rating”.

SEE ALSO: Spices and Spirits Indian restaurant named best in UK

He added: “We had follow-up visits and meetings to agree how the rating will go up next month after another visit or so.

“Our guests are most welcome to visit our kitchen anytime when they request on arrival. They can vouch themselves for the cleanliness, food safety and hygiene.

“We have transparently communicated with our beloved guests via social media as we value our customers’ health and safety.”

Many loyal customers offered their support to the restaurant after it posted the news on social media, saying it would not put them of visiting and praising the owners for their honesty. 

A borough council spokesperson said: "The council operates a programme of risk-based inspections and the frequency is determined by the Food Law Code of Practice laid down by the Food Standards Agency. Spices and Spirits were on a programme of yearly inspections following their last assessment in January 2023.

"The business was re-inspected on Friday 12 January 2024 and was awarded a food hygiene rating of “three - generally satisfactory”.

"The business appealed this rating. In line with procedure, Test Valley Borough Council’s lead officer for food safety was asked to consider the findings from Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council’s inspection and also spoke with the business owner. The appeal was dismissed and the rating upheld."