Mendip District Council has launched its Food Scores initiative which issues star ratings to most business or organisation serving and selling food. The ratings, which range from zero to five stars, show consumers how good the venue is at meeting food hygiene regulations.
 
So far more than 20 businesses in Mendip have reached the top five star rating, demonstrating that they fully meet the standards set out by national food hygiene guidelines.
 
Food Scores is not a competition or an award scheme, but a system which allows customers to see how serious a business is about food hygiene.
 
Businesses already receive regular food hygiene inspections and the information gathered during the inspection will be used to decide what rating applies.
 
Unannounced visits by environmental health will continue, and over the next 18 months it is hoped most businesses will have received a star rating.
 
A star rating will be based on three main parts of the inspection:

Once inspected, businesses and organisations will be given a sticker detailing their star rating which can be displayed at their entrance.
 
Mendip's senior environmental health officer Jo Hammonds said: "We have a wide range of food retailers in Mendip, and it is great news that so many are coming out with three, four or even five star ratings.
 
"Of course, there will be some that won't achieve this standard and we will aim to work hard with them to offer information and advice about how they can improve their food hygiene standards."  
 
Recent five star businesses in Mendip include:
Foster Rooms Ltd, Royal Bath and West Showground, Shepton Mallet
Sheltered housing at Bennetts Gardens, Frome
Frome Enterprise Centre, Frome
H E Williams, Frome
J Sainsbury, Frome
Priory Ed Services, Frome
Pats Pantry, Norton St Philip
Centenary Residential Home, Shepton Mallet
Denelas Sandwich Bar, Shepton Mallet
Neptunes, Shepton Mallet
Blostins, Shepton Mallet
Critchill Court, Shepton Mallet
Somerset Cheese Company, Ditcheat
Scolarest, Millfield School, Street
Luna, Glastonbury
Wells Leisure Centre, Wells
Sodexho, Wells Cathedral School, Wells
Swan Hotel, Wells
White Hart Hotel, Wells
Avon Care Homes, Wells Nursing Home, Wells
Poppies, Wells
Kings Arms, Litton

Cllr Tom Killen, Mendip District Council's portfolio holder for public protection, said: "This scheme is not only great news for businesses and food retailers, but also in providing important information to the public. This isn't going to produce a league table for premises to compare themselves but give us an opportunity to work with traders to improve standards across the district.
 
"As a council we take public protection very seriously and I'm optimistic that Food Scores will be a great way to drive forward our campaign for better food hygiene, and give businesses an incentive to work harder towards a better star rating if they haven't already reached the top five stars."