Four venues get top marks by Food Standards Agency

The FSA is responsible for ensuring that establishments are up to scratch in terms of food hygiene regulations, and that they are safe to frequent.

Establishments are graded against the following criteria:

Hygienic food handling - Hygienic handling of food including preparation, cooking, re-heating, cooling and storage.

Management of food safety - System or checks in place to ensure that food sold or served is safe to eat, evidence that staff know about food safety, and the food safety officer has confidence that standards will be maintained in future.

Cleanliness and condition of facilities and building - Cleanliness and condition of facilities and building (including having appropriate layout, ventilation, hand washing facilities and pest control) to enable good food hygiene.

Ranging from zero to five, food hygiene ratings are given to food handling businesses after an inspection has assessed how well they comply with food safety laws.

The rating reflects the standards of food hygiene found on the date of the inspection.

Here is how the scores are graded.

5 – hygiene standards are very good

4 – hygiene standards are good

3 – hygiene standards are generally satisfactory

2 – some improvement is necessary

1 – major improvement is necessary

0 – urgent improvement is required

If businesses are awarded a score lower than five, the local authority officer will explain what action they can take to improve.

Bars, restaurants, cafes and takeaways are among the recent venues in St Helens to have been given a new rating recently.

Which St Helens venues have been inspected?

• Rated 5: Education by CH&CO Catering Ltd at Wargrave House School, 449 Wargrave Road, Newton Le Willows; rated on June 19

• Rated 5: The Courtyard at 243 City Road, St Helens; rated on June 18

• Rated 5: Carr Mill Hotel at The Carr Mill Hotel, 18 East Lancashire Road, St Helens; rated on June 25

• Rated 5: Womble Inn at 12 Church Street, St Helens; rated on June 18