Nearly 75% of food outlets in Ipswich received top marks when inspectors visited but 38 require ‘major improvements’, we can reveal.
Food safety officers from Ipswich Borough Council routinely visit all 985 registered food businesses in the town, and results are published online as well as being displayed at the venues.
Rating range from zero to five and while a zero rating, which means ‘urgent’ improvements are needed, can shut an outlet down, a one means major improvement is needed.
The full five star rating means a premises is ‘very good’ in terms of hygiene and policy.
Of the 985 restaurants, cafes and shops selling hot food, 38 were given a one-star rating and one is currently awaiting a visit from the team.
Developed by the Food Standards Agency (FSA), hygiene ratings help consumers choose where they eat. Officers take into account food hygiene, structure and cleanliness, and confidence in management.
An Ipswich Borough Council spokesman said: “When planning your special meal out, make sure you check the hygiene ratings online and choose a restaurant that takes food hygiene seriously.
“For local food businesses a good food hygiene rating is something to be proud of. It matters to customers so we are encouraging all businesses in Ipswich to display their rating.”
However, a number of businesses given a one rating say the matter related to paperwork only.
Among those given one star is an after school club, which serves food to children at Clifford Road Primary.
But manager Karen Johnson said they still haven’t heard back from inspectors after they visited in January last year.
“When the inspectors came round the paperwork had only been sent to us a couple of days before and we hadn’t had time to look at it properly,” she said.
“We are still waiting for them to come back to give us a new rating – the paperwork was due by May last year and we still haven’t heard anything. The inspector said we would get four stars, which is a ‘good’ rating, if we had filled this out.”
The Station Hotel, which revamped its Burrell Road premises last year, also received a one-star rating.
Manager James Langan said: “We recently refurbished, becoming a food establishment as well as a drinking outlet. The inspector came around and gave us a one rating, but that was only because we hadn’t filled out paperwork.
“He booked a revisit and came back three weeks later, where he said we wouldn’t be able to have a reinspection for another six months. But he said we should have a five rating soon, and I hope it improves because I don’t want it to put people off.”
Businesses will be notified of their food hygiene score and rating after the inspection. Once notified, they will have 14 days to appeal, if they feel that the rating is unjust.
And by law, any premises serving food must display a green and black sticker showing their rating.
To see how your favourite restaurant, takeaway or caterer fared, visit the FSA website.
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