Amo La Pasta at Boxpark was rated 0 after a September inspection. October so far: 52 Croydon ratings, 37 fives, one 1 and a big Mitcham Road climb.
A pasta stall at Boxpark Croydon has been given a food hygiene rating of 0, the lowest there is. The rating was published after our September roundup went out.
Amo La Pasta, at Unit 39, Boxpark Croydon, 99 George Street, CR0 1LD, was inspected on 15 September (register entry). A zero means urgent improvement is necessary. It is the borough’s second zero from September inspections, after Chai Kadai on South End.
October’s ratings look better so far. The Food Standards Agency register holds 52 ratings from Croydon inspections dated in October, and 37 are fives. Only one business was rated 1.
Every figure here comes from the FSA food hygiene ratings register, read on 2 November 2026.
Why Amo La Pasta scored 0
A rating is built from three scores, and a lower score is better on each. Amo La Pasta’s were:
| Area inspected | Score | What the band means |
|---|---|---|
| Hygienic food handling | 10 | Generally satisfactory |
| Condition of the structure | 25 | Major improvement necessary |
| Confidence in management | 20 | Major improvement necessary |
The 25 for the structure is the worst score on the register for any Croydon business rated in September. That score covers cleanliness, layout, lighting, ventilation and the state of the building or unit.
A zero does not mean a business has been closed. The register shows no right to reply from Amo La Pasta, and no newer rating pending.
Croydon now has four premises holding a zero:
- Amo La Pasta, Boxpark, George Street, inspected 15 September
- Chai Kadai, South End, inspected 8 September
- Rio Lounge, Cherry Orchard Road, inspected 4 July
- Phoenix City Chinese Takeaway, Mitcham Road, inspected 24 June
October’s lowest ratings
Little Bay, the restaurant at 32 Selsdon Road, South Croydon, CR2 6PB, was rated 1 on 7 October (register entry). A 1 means major improvement is necessary. Its scores were 10 for food handling, 15 for the structure and 20 for confidence in management.
Two places were rated 2, meaning some improvement is necessary:
- Berlin Kebab, Fish & Chips, 110 Brighton Road, Purley, CR8 4DB, inspected 8 October (register entry)
- Olive Dining at Kensington Avenue Primary School, Thornton Heath, inspected 1 October, which we reported last week
One shop was rated 3, generally satisfactory: Palace Express at 1 Market Parade, Portland Road, South Norwood.
The latest inspection date on the register is 17 October. Ratings appear some weeks after the visit, so October’s total will keep growing.
September’s late ratings
The register now holds 131 ratings from September inspections, against 79 when we wrote on 3 October. Besides Amo La Pasta, four more 1s have appeared:
- Cafe Havana, London Road, Norbury, SW16 4BE. The register lists two entries, at 1347 and 1363 London Road, and both were rated 1 on 14 September (1347, 1363).
- Elroy’s Chicken and Pizza, 47 Whitehorse Road, CR0 2JG, inspected 16 September (register entry)
- Kenley Kindergarten, at Kenley Primary School, New Barn Lane, CR3 0EX, inspected 23 September (register entry)
Every one of them scored 20 for confidence in management. That is the same weak spot as all five September 1s in our last roundup. It covers the records, training and food safety systems meant to keep standards up between visits.
Three more September 2s have been published:
- Mind in Croydon, 10 Altyre Road
- Eldon Housing, Lindsay Court, Eden Road
- Tamasha Club, 774 London Road, Thornton Heath
The good news
One takeaway has made the climb every business on a low rating hopes for. Dominic’s Pizza at 377 Mitcham Road was rated 2 after an August inspection, as we reported in September. It was inspected again on 7 October and is now rated 5 (FSA register).
October’s other fives include:
- 1507 Coffee & Takeaway at Thornton Heath station
- Chefs training kitchens and Urban Cafe at Croydon College
- Fingers Kebab on Central Parade, New Addington, and German Doner Kebab on George Street
- Martil Café on Morland Road and Ali’s Kitchen on the Norbury Trading Estate
- school kitchens at Whitgift School, Archbishop Tenison’s, The Robert Fitzroy Academy, Ecclesbourne Primary and Red Gates School
- after-school clubs at Woodside Primary, Oasis Academy Shirley Park, Beulah Infants and Whitehorse Manor Infants
- the 17th Purley Scout Group at St John’s Parish Hall, Coulsdon, and Sanderstead United Reformed Church
How Croydon compares with its neighbours
Across the borough, 2,879 food businesses now hold a numeric rating. Of those, 1,854 hold a 5, which is 64.4%. That is slightly down from 64.6% on 3 October.
| Borough | Rated premises | Rated 5 | Share at 5 | Rated 0 or 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merton | 1,281 | 1,058 | 82.6% | 11 |
| Bromley | 2,185 | 1,673 | 76.6% | 20 |
| Sutton | 1,176 | 889 | 75.6% | 17 |
| Croydon | 2,879 | 1,854 | 64.4% | 58 |
| Lambeth | 2,454 | 1,523 | 62.1% | 96 |
All five rows come from the same FSA register, read on 2 November 2026. Croydon’s count at 0 or 1 rose from 54 to 58 over the month.
What it means for you
- Look up a place before you order. The FSA register is free to search by name or postcode. It shows the inspection date as well as the score.
- At a food hall, check the stall, not the building. Each Boxpark unit is rated separately, and the stall next door may have a 5.
- Read the three scores. A place marked down on structure has a different problem from one marked down on management.
- Displaying the sticker is voluntary in England. A missing sticker tells you nothing either way.
- Report a problem to the council. Croydon’s food and safety team is on food.safety@croydon.gov.uk or 020 8760 5436 (Croydon Council).
What a named business can do
Any business named here can appeal its rating in writing to the council, or publish a right to reply on the register explaining what has changed. Both are free (FSA: safeguards for businesses).
A business can also pay for a re-visit once it has fixed the problems. Croydon charges £300, paid upfront by card. The council warns that the new rating can go down as well as up (Croydon Council).
Sources
- Food Standards Agency food hygiene ratings register, read through the FSA’s open ratings API for Croydon, Bromley, Lambeth, Merton and Sutton on 2 November 2026 (all ratings, scores, addresses, business types and inspection dates)
- Croydon Council: food hygiene rating scheme (the £300 re-visit charge, contact details)
- FSA: Food Hygiene Rating Scheme safeguards for businesses (appeals and right to reply)
Ratings change with every inspection. Check the FSA register for the current position before relying on anything here. Our other Croydon guides cover bin collection days, council tax bands, parking and planning applications.
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