RESIDENTS in Hambleton who are booking a Christmas meal have been urged to check the hygiene ratings of restaurants before booking.
Hambleton District Council’s environmental health team has backed a Food Standards Agency initiative to encourage consumers to check the ratings in advance, as they believe standards cannot be predicted by how clean and tidy staff look or how busy a business is.
The figures can be checked online and on green and black stickers displayed at premises, and run from 0 to 5. In Hambleton, 95 per cent of food businesses are rated 3 or above.
Maria Bentley, Environmental Health Officer for the council, said: "Christmas is a time to enjoy good company and good food without worrying about food poisoning.
"But you can’t tell a restaurant’s hygiene standards by how clean and tidy the staff look or by how busy it is. It’s the things you can’t see – like germs spread by bad hygiene practices - that you need to consider. There’s one easy way to set your mind at rest – check the food hygiene rating."
To check a rating online, go to food.gov.uk/ratings
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