Making a meal of hygiene

TWO councils in Comet country are naming and shaming establishments that sell or provide food that fails strict hygiene standards.

Inspectors from Mid Beds District Council and Stevenage Borough Council have visited many establishments where food is served from pubs to cafes, burger bars to nursing homes and schools in their quest to make sure we eat clean and safe food.

The programme is called Scores on the Doors where food establishments are given scores of 0 to five stars.

Four places in Mid Beds, Dom's Continental Bar in Biggleswade, Shapla Tandoori in Shefford, the Two Brewers in Stotfold and Costcutter in Biggleswade, all got nil stars and were rated poor.

During the survey of 80 premises only one retailer scored five stars, the Spar store at the Chicksands MoD site, and only two sites scored four stars, Bedfordshire Growers near Biggleswade and the Texaco Service Station in the town.

In the schools and nurseries category, St Mary's Lower School in Stotfold was given five stars.

In the catering category many businesses struggled to score five stars, the exception being on the MoD base at Chicksands where each of its three premises, the officers' mess, sergeants' mess and the junior ranks' mess, got five stars.

Cllr Max McMurdo, portfolio holder for environmental services, said: "I welcome this new scheme which enables residents and visitors in Mid Beds to make choices about where they eat based not only on the menu, price and location, but now also on good food hygiene.

Colin Phelps, headteacher at St Mary's School which is celebrating its five stars, said: "This award sends out a clear message about the school and how we are taking care of healthy attitudes here."

In Stevenage only one establishment was worthy of five stars which was the Wisden Court residential care home where manager Festus Awogbour said: "We are really proud. It reflects the good work by staff when it comes to hygiene and how we care for people. It's brilliant."

Three premises, though, were given no stars - Woodfield Lodge residential care home, the Queensway Snack and Sandwich bar and Poppadum Express.

Margaret Pitcher, manager at Woodfield Lodge, said: "We were disappointed but we have updated everything since the last inspection."

The borough council introduced its scores on doors scheme in May and a spokesman said: "Following a good hygiene inspection a business is given a certificate which includes a score. It is voluntary for businesses to display the certificate but if it is displayed then it must be seen from outside the premises on the front door or the window.

"The aim of the scheme is to improve food hygiene standards in the borough and also give the public a more informed choice about where to eat based on food safety."

There are approximately 400 food businesses in Stevenage that will be subject to the scheme and it is hoped all will have been inspected during the next two years.

A spokesman for North Herts District Council, which does not have a scores on doors scheme, said: "We are aware of the initiative being taken by neighbouring authorities. Our present policy is being reviewed and we will take into account the experience of other authorities."

Key to star rating

5 excellent; 4 very good; 3 good; 2 satisfactory; 1 fair; 0 poor

Inspectors scored each establishment on the following three areas: Food hygiene and safety looking at how hygienically food is handled and the cleanliness of the premises; structure - the condition of the premises including lighting, ventilation and pest-proofing; and confidence in management where inspectors looked for evidence of a food safety management system and history of complying with food law and acting on previous advice.

MID BEDS COUNCIL

Retailers

Arlesey Post Office........................................2

ASK Arlesey Village Store........................................3

Bedfordshire Growers, Biggleswade........................................4

Costcutter, Biggleswade........................................0

Harleys Bakery, Biggleswade........................................2

Iceland, Biggleswade........................................3

J Sainsbury plc Bells Brook, Biggleswade........................................3

Jen Jam Convenience Store, Arlesey........................................3

Kitelands Store & Post Office, Biggleswade........................................2

One Stop Convenience Store, Clifton........................................2

Rogers Bakery, Shefford........................................3

Southill Store, Southill........................................2

Spar Stores DISC (SU) MoD, Chicksands........................................5

Surfin Café, Biggleswade........................................3

Texaco Service Station, Biggleswade........................................4

The Codfather, Biggleswade........................................1

Schools and nurseries

Acre Wood Day Nursery, Arlesey........................................3

Burgoyne Middle School, Potton........................................3

Langford Lower School, Langford........................................2

Pulloxhill Lower School, Pulloxhill........................................3

Robert Peel Lower School, Sandy........................................2

Sandye Place Middle School, Sandy........................................3

St Mary's Lower School, Stotfold........................................5

St Swithuns School Sandy, ........................................3

Care homes

Chase House Residential Home, Arlesey........................................3

Wren Park Residential Home, Arlesey........................................4

Caterers

Abbots Bar DISC (SU) MoD, Chicksands........................................4

Benjies (food mobile), Stondon........................................3

Café at Henlow Greyhound Stadium........................................1

Dom's Continental Bar, Biggleswade........................................0

Flutters Bingo Hall, Biggleswade ........................................2

J Sainsbury plc - Eurest, Biggleswade........................................4

J Sainsbury plc - Restaurant, Biggleswade........................................3

Junior Ranks Mess MoD, Chicksands........................................5

L & M Catering, Potton........................................3

Marshalls Mono Ltd - Staff Restaurant, Sandy........................................3

Mikey's Mouthful, Biggleswade........................................1

New Rays, Shefford........................................2

Noahs Ark PH, Shillington........................................1

Officers Mess MoD, Chicksands........................................5

Peking House, Stotfold........................................2

Relish (home caterer), Biggleswade........................................4

Sergeants Mess MoD, Chicksands........................................5

Shapla Tandoori, Shefford........................................0

Shefford Kebab, Shefford........................................2

The Greyhound PH, Haynes........................................1

The Rendezvous MoD, Chicksands........................................2

The Spice, Biggleswade ........................................2

Two Brewers PH, Stotfold........................................0

Weatherley Centre, Biggleswade........................................2

White Hart Hotel, Shefford........................................3

Winning Post at Henlow Greyhound Stadium........................................2

STEVENAGE BOROUGH COUNCIL

WJ Rowe Ltd........................................4

Tea Cosy........................................2

Ashok Kumar Mason........................................2

Just Deli, Du Pont........................................4

SSP UK Ltd, Stevenage Railway Station........................................3

The Proverbial........................................2

Autograph, Arista Tubes ........................................4

Woodfield........................................0

TJ's Café........................................2

The Chequers........................................2

Quadrant Staff Canteen........................................2

Poachers........................................2

Life Opportunities Trust ........................................4

Leapfrog Day Nursery........................................4

Wisden Court........................................5

Noah's Ark Day Nursery........................................4

Johnny's Plaice........................................2

Burydale Children's Home........................................2

North Herts College........................................2

Ask........................................4

Cineworld........................................4

The White Lion........................................2

Buffet Business........................................4

K Jones and Sons........................................3

Mecca Bingo........................................3

McDonald's........................................2

Hings Chinese Take Away........................................4

John Henry Newman........................................3

Poppadum Express........................................0

The Woodman's Arms........................................3

The Broadhall Suit SFBB........................................4

Newhaven........................................3

Chells Family Pub and Resturant........................................2

London Bread and Cake Co........................................1

Sizzlers UK Restaurant........................................2

Good For You........................................4

Queensway Snack and Sandwich Bar........................................0

Leapfrog Day Nursery........................................4

S & R Newsagent & Supermarket........................................2