Q1: What is ‘Scores on the doors’?
A1: It is a scheme which allows the public to view the latest assessment of food hygiene standards made by Guildford Borough Council’s environmental health team following their inspections of commercial food businesses. The score will be in the form of a star rating from zero to five, where zero indicates that major improvements are required and five shows excellent standards.
Q2: Why is Guildford Borough Council introducing this scheme?
A2: Publication of food hygiene inspection information is very popular with consumers as a means of informing their decisions about where to eat. It is also very successful in terms of helping improve standards of food hygiene, by giving public recognition to those food businesses which have achieved high standards of food hygiene.
Q3: Is this a national scheme?
A3: No, but the Food Standards Agency is currently piloting a number of projects across the UK with a view to introducing a national scheme in the future. Find out more about the pilot schemes (this page opens in a new window).
Q4: Which businesses will get a star rating?
A4:All registered food businesses which form part of Guildford Borough Council’s inspection programme, including restaurants, hotels, pubs serving food, takeaways, schools, hospitals, residential homes and many more. Lower risk retail premises where no open high risk food is handled (e.g. newsagents, grocers etc.) are not included in the scheme at this stage.
Q5: Why can’t I find the business I am looking for?
A5: The information currently available on the website is for all inspections carried out after 1 April 2007 and for all 4 and 5 star businesses inspected since 1 April 2006. New inspection ratings will be uploaded on a monthly basis, as and when businesses are inspected, so information on all food businesses within the scheme should be available within the next 18 months.
Q6: How is the star rating calculated?
A6: The scoring system is based on the following criteria which Guildford Borough Council’s food safety officers assess following every programmed food hygiene inspection:
- Hygiene practices
- Structure and cleanliness
- Confidence in food safety management
Businesses are awarded a total score which then equates to a star rating. The star rating will be issued on a certificate and sent to the business to display on the front door or window and is published on the website.
Q7: Do businesses have to display their star rating?
A7:No. Displaying the certificate is voluntary, but all of the scores will be available on the Scores on the doors website (this page opens in a new window).
Q8: What happens if a business disagrees with the star rating?
A8: The rating is based on a professional officer’s inspection and will not normally be changed. However, if a business believes that it has been treated unfairly and strongly disagrees with an inspection rating, then they should make a written appeal to the Head of Environmental Health & Licensing within 14 days of the inspection, setting out the specific reasons for the disagreement. The matter will be investigated and the decision of the Head of Environmental Health & Licensing services will be final.
If a business feels that standards have improved since the inspection, the food business operator can use the “right to reply” facility on the website to indicate the improvements that they have made as long as claims can be verified by officers.
Q9: Can the star rating be changed?
A9: Yes, but generally only when the next programmed food hygiene inspection is due. However, an inspection may be brought forward and the star rating reassessed if any serious hygiene defects are discovered as a result of a consumer complaint or during the course of a food poisoning investigation.
Q10: Can businesses request for additional visits to change their rating?
A10: No. Ratings will only be changed during programmed inspections in accordance with our Scores on the Doors policy [PDF] (63k). Where businesses have made improvements it is important to ensure that these standards are maintained until the next programmed inspection.
For further information contact:
Environmental Health
Millmead House
Millmead
Guildford
Surrey
GU2 4BB
Tel: 01483 444371
Email: environmentalhealth@guildford.gov.uk