Our grubbiest food suburbs revealed

Diners voting with their stomachs have deemed where the grubbiest food precincts are.

DINERS voting with their stomachs have deemed the city as the grubbiest food precinct in wider Brisbane.

Brisbane City Council received 71 complaints about CBD eateries last year, dwarfing food gripes about other suburbs.

FULL GRUBBY SUBURB LIST

South Brisbane fared second worst with 31 complaints, followed by popular food haunts Fortitude Valley (29) and Sunny Bank (27) then Upper Mount Gravatt (20).

Brisbane’s CBD is the grubbiest area in wider Brisbane, according to diners.

Throughout 2018 the council received more than 800 complaints ranging from food poisoning to dirty venues.

“Each and every complaint made to council about food safety is followed up with an on-site inspection,” a council spokesman said.

“Food businesses are not allowed to continue operating if they present a health risk to the public.”

Ravendra Prasad, owner of Indian Feast in St Lucia, was this month fined $20,000 for multiple food safety breaches including cockroach infestation. Picture: AAP/David Clark

But Restaurant & Catering Australia deputy CEO Sally Neville has hit back, saying there is a lack of consistency among the council’s food inspectors.

“Some inspectors are incredibly rigorous and others not so much. So the level of consistency is a real concern for industry,” she told the Sunday Mail.

“It’s frustrating for the industry when the rules change depending on the inspector and the jurisdiction.”

Swanky Italian restaurant Tartufo in the Valley last year copped a $15,000 for grease and grime on the floor and cockroaches in the kitchen.

Ms Neville raised concerns about a tendency for inspectors to focus on faults not specifically related to public health.

“If there’s a cobweb in the toilet, that doesn’t put the public health at risk. If customers feel it’s totally inappropriate … then they won’t come back,” she said.

“The resources should be focused on where the risk is.”

Another industry figure, who didn’t want to go on the record, agreed some inspectors could be overzealous but called the inspections a “necessary evil”.

“Everybody understands it’s got to be there,” the person said.

Brisbane City Council said it worked proactively with food businesses “to ensure food safety requirements are being met”.

“Council requires Brisbane food businesses to meet strict food safety standards,” a spokesman said.

“Council works closely with food trucks, restaurants and cafés through the EatSafe program to ensure food is handled and stored correctly at Brisbane food businesses.”

Council declined to say how many rogue eateries were prosecuted in 2018 but records show court action is launched over breaches.

This month Ravendra Prasad, owner of St Lucia restaurant Indian Feast was fined $20,000 for multiple food safety breaches including cockroach infestation.

Last year saw swanky Italian restaurant Tartufo in Fortitude Valley cop a $15,000 fine for grease and grime on the floor and cockroaches in the kitchen.

A few months earlier embattled restaurateur Damian Griffiths was fined $3000, and company Limes Properties $30,000, after rats were found at their Les Bubbles eatery. The Fortitude Valley restaurant is now under different management.

FULL COMPLAINTS LIST BY SUBURB

BRISBANE CITY 71

SOUTH BRISBANE 31

FORTITUDE VALLEY 29

SUNNYBANK 27

UPPER MOUNT GRAVATT 20

INALA 15

WEST END 15

CHERMSIDE 14

MOOROOKA 14

NUNDAH 14

SUNNYBANK HILLS 14

RUNCORN 13

WOOLLOONGABBA 13

TOOWONG 12

CALAMVALE 11

CANNON HILL 11

MORNINGSIDE 11

ACACIA RIDGE 10

BRIGHTON 10

BULIMBA 10

CARINDALE 10

EIGHT MILE PLAINS 10

HAMILTON 10

INDOOROOPILLY 10

KEPERRA 10

ST LUCIA 10

WYNNUM 10

BRISBANE AIRPORT 9

NEW FARM 8

SANDGATE 8

SPRING HILL 8

BOONDALL 7

COORPAROO 7

GREENSLOPES 7

ASCOT 6

BOWEN HILLS 6

CARINA 6

CLAYFIELD 6

EVERTON PARK 6

FOREST LAKE 6

GEEBUNG 6

JINDALEE 6

STONES CORNER 6

TENERIFFE 6

BANYO 5

BELLBOWRIE 5

BRACKEN RIDGE 5

DOOLANDELLA 5

KANGAROO POINT 5

KEDRON 5

KELVIN GROVE 5

NEWMARKET 5

NORMAN PARK 5

OXLEY 5

PADDINGTON 5

VIRGINIA 5

WACOL 5

WAVELL HEIGHTS 5

WINDSOR 5

ALBION 4

ASPLEY 4

CAMP HILL 4

GRANGE 4

MOUNT GRAVATT 4

NEWSTEAD 4

ROBERTSON 4

ROCKLEA 4

SALISBURY 4

TINGALPA 4

WILSTON 4

WYNNUM WEST 4

ZILLMERE 4

ALDERLEY 3

ANNERLEY 3

ARCHERFIELD 3

BARDON 3

DARRA 3

ENOGGERA 3

HENDRA 3

HERSTON 3

KENMORE 3

MACGREGOR 3

MANLY 3

MITCHELTON 3

MOUNT OMMANEY 3

NORTHGATE 3

STAFFORD 3

YEERONGPILLY 3

ALGESTER 2

ASHGROVE 2

BALMORAL 2

CARSELDINE 2

COOPERS PLAINS 2

DEAGON 2

EAST BRISBANE 2

FERNY GROVE 2

HEMMANT 2

KURABY 2

LUTWYCHE 2

MANLY WEST 2

MILTON 2

MOUNT GRAVATT EAST 2

PARKINSON2

PETRIE TERRACE 2

SHERWOOD 2

TARINGA 2

YERONGA 2

BALD HILLS 1

BELMONT 1

BRIDGEMAN DOWNS 1

BURBANK 1

CHAPEL HILL 1

DURACK 1

DUTTON PARK 1

EAGLE FARM 1

ELLEN GROVE 1

FAIRFIELD 1

GAYTHORNE 1

GRACEVILLE 1

HAWTHORNE 1

HIGHGATE HILL 1

HOLLAND PARK 1

HOLLAND PARK WEST 1

JAMBOREE HEIGHTS 1

KARANA DOWNS 1

KENMORE HILLS 1

MORETON ISLAND 1

MURARRIE 1

NUDGEE BEACH 1

RICHLANDS 1

SEVEN HILLS 1

SHORNCLIFFE 1

SINNAMON PARK 1

STAFFORD HEIGHTS 1

SUMNER 1

TARRAGINDI 1

THE GAP 1

WILLAWONG 1

WOOLOOWIN 1