Clean cuisine: hygiene scores soar

Date:  10 February 2009

Pubs, restaurants and food shops in Three Rivers are becoming cleaner. That's the conclusion of a report just published by the District Council's environmental
health team.

Health experts analysed the performance of 405 food premises. Since February 2007, the number of outlets scoring the maximum five stars has doubled from 18 to 36 while the proportion of venues scoring zero has halved from 38 to 19 businesses. The percentage of venues achieving a good rating of three stars has increased from 63% to 72% of the total.

The improvements follow the launch of the Scores on the Doors hygiene ratings on the Council's website in January 2008.

Cllr Phil Brading, Cabinet Member for Public Services and Health, said:

"We expected that the publicising of hygiene scores would drive up standards but the improvement has been even greater than we hoped. We estimate that over 24,000 households in the district now have internet access and it takes just two minutes to check the website. You can also ring us to get a hygiene rating.

"Despite the rise in standards, you still have a nearly one in 20 chance of eating at a venue which has scored zero at its last hygiene inspection. I hope that it becomes a habit for all of us to check a pub or restaurant's score before an evening out. We will continue to prosecute venues for the most serious breaches in hygiene."

The hygiene ratings are made at the most recent inspection and are as follows:

• 5 stars - excellent hygiene conditions. Includes good repair, ventilation and pest proofing. High confidence in management - including general attitude to food hygiene.
• 4 stars - very good hygiene.
• 3 stars - good hygiene.
• 2 stars - satisfactory.
• 1 star - fair hygiene conditions. Some non-compliance with food laws found. Some confidence in management. More effort required to prevent a fall in standards.
• 0 stars - poor hygiene conditions found. Some major non-compliance with food laws and follow up action by the District Council is likely.

Residents can view the list, which also includes business canteens, schools, sheltered housing schemes and other venues with catering facilities on the Scores on the Doors page on the website. 

Watford Borough Council also runs the scheme.

The Food Standards Agency is considering introducing the Scores on the Doors scheme nationally, using the five star scheme.