Dirty fingers and restaurants don't mix

This operation is possibly one of the most “hip” places to eat in London.  I will say no more!

Self expression is encouraged.

The meal started off quite poorly.  The purified tap water was served in a dirty bottle and alarm bells  started to ring.

There were a number of things that unsettled me about the operation, but one thing in particular turned my stomach and my guest and I cut our lunch short and went to a very agreeable café a little further away.

The appearance of the barman was possibly the worst example of personal hygiene I have seen for a very long time.  Now the chap was quite well built, it was clear he enjoyed his food as we all do and there is nothing wrong with that.  However the dirty, tight once white t-shirt that he wore certainly did nothing to flatter.

His trousers were dirty, his shoes seemed to have no laces, because as he walked the heel of the shoe would flip off to expose holey socks.  What made the whole thing worse, was that his finger nails were black.  These nails would be more common in a garden centre than a central London restaurant.  He would scratch himself and then touch bar fruit with his hands.  Quite frankly – disgusting.

I have been known to send male staff home for simply not being shaven.  Morning briefings are the perfect opportunity not only to update staff on the menu and what is happening in the restaurant, but it is also the time to review the state of the staff’s shoes and personal hygiene.  Any issues can then be taken care of before service starts.

Conclusion

Self respect for one’s appearance shows an element of personal pride and care.  If you don’t have the self respect it is clear that there will be little respect for the most important people – the customers!  This was proven at this restaurant as the service was slovenly and sloppy.

Personal hygiene plays a very important role in restaurants and good hygiene is a pre-requisite that will not affect the customer if it is present, but will seriously turn customers off if it is not delivered, as is the case for the restaurant in this article!

If you suffer from similar problems and just don’t have a solution, please contact Harris Restaurant Consultants directly on Tel. 020 7480 5611 or Mob. 07930 474 472.