The Noisy Lobster restaurant on Christchurch’s Avon Beach received a ‘1’ rating from the Food Standards Agency after its last inspection.

Staff at a Christchurch restaurant, which dropped from the highest level of food hygiene to the second lowest, were “immensely disappointed” by the rating.

The Noisy Lobster restaurant on Avon Beach was given a ‘1’ rating after an inspection which required ‘significant improvements’ following a visit last month. The rating ranges from “0” to “5”.

A restaurant spokesperson blamed the low rating on a lack of documentation and noted that the restaurant has “proudly maintained a 5 rating for 12 consecutive years.”

In the area of ​​food safety management – the systems and checks that ensure the food sold or served is safe, and evidence that staff know about food safety – the inspector ruled that “significant improvements” were needed.

Looking at hygienic food handling, the inspector said improvements were needed. However, the cleanliness and condition of the premises were rated as “generally satisfactory”.

In a statement, a Noisy Lobster spokesperson said the team was “very disappointed” by the poor rating it received.

“This does not reflect our consistently high standards, but rather concerns isolated issues regarding paperwork and processes,” they said.

“The main drawback was the lack of HACCP (hazard analysis critical control point) documentation. At our last check, this was not a requirement, despite having similar dishes on the menu.

“Regardless of the reasons behind the report, it goes without saying that we accept full responsibility for the fact that it does not meet our expected standards.

“The safety and satisfaction of our loyal guests and staff are our top priorities and we want to reassure our guests that we responded quickly to the inspector’s findings.

“We have requested a re-inspection and have also engaged an EHO consultant to ensure our standards remain high while we await this re-visit.

“We are extremely grateful to our loyal guests for their support during this difficult time.”