Check the Food Hygiene Rating tool before eating out to ensure you dine in cleanliness and safety.
Sutton Council and the Food Standards Agency are encouraging residents to check the hygiene rating of dining establishments and restaurants before choosing where to eat.
Sutton has a great range of restaurants and eateries to enjoy, but diners can be doubly sure they have made the right choice by checking the Food Standards Agency’s website and using their Food Hygiene Rating Scheme toolkit.
753 establishments in Sutton are rated by the toolkit and over 320 of them have achieved the maximum score of 5 stars, with another 200 receiving a ‘Very good’ 4 star rating. Nearly 85% scored a ‘Good’ 3 star rating or higher.
Enforcement Officers aim to protect public health and work with establishments that receive lower ratings to help them improve hygiene standards. A food business operator can also request a re-rating visit after three months.
Click here to see the full breakdown of eating establishments in Sutton borough.
Cllr Nick Emmerson, Lead Councillor of Trading Standards at Sutton Council, said:
“As we move toward the festive season more and more people will take the opportunity to enjoy a meal out with loved ones and friends. The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme is a great tool which the public can use to plan their visits to restaurants and eateries, safe in the knowledge the venue they choose will be clean and hygienic. “
The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme has been running for five years and provides diners with an impartial guide about how clean an establishment is. The scheme covers England, Wales and Northern Ireland with over 455,000 ratings listed. Establishments are rated from 0, meaning ‘Urgent improvement necessary’, to 5 meaning ‘Very good’. The Food Standards Agency consider several criteria when assigning a rating. Hygienic handling of food, cleanliness of facilities, and business management are all taken into account before an establishment receives a grade.
In 2013, more than 500,000 people suffered from food poisoning in the UK. Poultry was the biggest cause of illness, accounting for nearly half of the cases.