“Look before you book” as council urge public to check food hygiene ratings

If you’re planning that special Christmas meal with work colleagues, friends or family – Wrexham Council are reminding you to ‘look before you book’.

They say, “Christmas is a time to enjoy good company and good food without worrying about food poisoning. But the truth is, 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.”

You can view the stickers that should look like the one above displayed at the premises by law, or check the ratings.food.gov.uk website, where you can check out specific businesses or a general geographic map search.

The food hygiene rating tells you about hygiene standards in restaurants and other food businesses.

The ratings are determined by the council’s Public Protection officers, and run from 0-5, with a 5 rating meaning a very good level of food hygiene.

98 per cent of food businesses are rated 3 or better, so there are plenty of places with good standards.

Cllr Hugh Jones, Lead Member Communities and Partnerships, Public Protection and Community Safety, said: “It’s easy for people in Wrexham to check hygiene ratings online and choose a restaurant for their Christmas parties that takes food hygiene seriously.

“This is an important time for local businesses. A good food hygiene rating is something to be proud of, and it matters to consumers”.