The food hygiene ‘Scores On The Doors’ has shown that the majority of businesses in the area are rated ‘Very Good’.
More than half of the businesses in the Spilsby Online area are rated as ‘Very Good’, which is the highest rating possible in the five star scheme. The scheme, operated by the Food Standards Agency with inspections undertaken by East Lindsey District Council, has only recently been launched in East Lindsey. Prior to this the District Council had run their own monitoring system consisting of a maximum of three stars. The new system has been adopted by most councils across the country.
The key issues assessed in each business are:
How hygienically food is handled, cooked and stored
The condition of the structure of the building
The premises cleanliness, layout, lighting and ventilation along with other facilities
How the business manages and records what it does to make sure food is safe
There were some notable businesses across the area that have been awarded the five star rating, including the Cooperative Store in Spilsby, Buttons Nursery and a number of local food outlets and takeaways. All local schools tested were also awarded the five star rating.
Not all local businesses have been inspected yet under the scheme, so companies such as Sainsbury’s in Spilsby do not currently have a rating.
There were some disappointing results from within the area with the A16 Truck Stop being awarded no stars, meaning that urgent improvement was necessary, and a couple of public houses in Spilsby only achieving one star (major improvement necessary). The lowest rated business in the Wainfleet area achieved only two stars, but again the majority were rated five-star.
However, such results should be taken with caution as the inspections were undertaken some time ago and improvements in hygiene should have been made in the mean time. Once a re-inspection has been undertaken these businesses should have improved their ratings.
The up-to-date scores on the doors can be viewed at the Food Standards Agency website (see link below), and are updated as often as inspections take place.