One of Watford’s top-rated restaurants has been given a 1/5 food hygiene rating, with “major improvement” needed.

Watford Borough Council inspected Humo, in King Street, on September 18 and gave it the second lowest possible grade.

The eatery, holding a 4.5 rating on Tripadvisor which places it among the town's best restaurants from customer reviews, appealed the score but the original decision was confirmed and published online this week.

Humo, in Kings Street, Watford.Humo, in Kings Street, Watford. (Image: Humo) Of the three categories eateries are judged on, Humo was found ‘generally satisfactory’ in 'hygienic food handling' as well as the 'cleanliness and condition of facilities and building'. However, it was told that “major improvement” was necessary in the management of food safety category.

Humo director Pirathiepan Navendan highlighted that it was only the one area falling below expected standards that was responsible for the overall grade.

“This stemmed from paperwork being temporarily unavailable on site during my absence,” Mr Navendan said.

“We’d like to reassure our customers that the concerns highlighted were resolved within 12 hours of the inspection.

Humo meal.Humo meal. (Image: Humo) “Unfortunately, as management was off-site, we were unable to rectify the paperwork issue at the moment of inspection. It is regrettable that this procedural matter influenced the rating more than actual food-related practices."

He continued: “We remain committed to transparency and excellence and are confident our re-inspection will reflect this. Importantly, our compliance in both hygiene and structural requirements met criteria for a higher rating.

“Our open kitchen showcases our dedication to high standards, and we welcome customer inquiries for transparency. We appreciate your understanding and continued support as we promptly address this matter.”

The restaurant expects to be reinspected within three weeks and hopes its rating will be much improved afterwards.

Pictures of the full report provided to the Watford Observer show it was told to label sauces that had been decanted from their original bottles with allergen information, repair damaged and uneven flooring in the kitchen’s walk-in chiller that could present a trip hazard, repair wall tiles in the kitchen, ensure worn chopping boards are replaced, and cook burgers more thoroughly.

Most burgers were apparently well done, but the heat they were probed for was 70C for an immediate reading. Conventional thorough cooking requires burgers to be cooked to a core temperature of 70C for two minutes or equivalent.

Humo was also advised to review staff training and potentially offer a six-hour course to develop their understanding.