A 5 star food rating doesn’t have to be difficult if you have a routine cleaning and food management system.
Poor cleanliness can be a reason for not achieving a good food hygiene rating and if your kitchen isn’t clean, it can lead to customers and staff getting sick.
Not only can a dirty kitchen cause illness but it can damage your reputation and lead to higher costs.
Find out how to get a 5 star food hygiene rating every time.
Why Food Hygiene is Important
There are around 2.4 million foodborne illnesses in the UK every year.
More than half of those illnesses are linked to eating establishments which shows a lot of food businesses aren’t following basic hygiene rules.
If you cause customers to become sick, then they won’t be back and they’ll tell everyone else to avoid you too.
Customers are more aware of cleanliness since the pandemic, with it being the third most important factor when choosing a hospitality venue.
And 69% of consumers want hand sanitising to continue and 55% want hospitality businesses to have hygiene measures evident.
Food Hygiene Ratings
Food hygiene ratings let consumers know how clean and safe your restaurant is.
They are carried out by the Food Standards Agency and range from 0 to 5.
The food hygiene ratings stickers have become a deciding factor for many consumers with 77% wanting to see the food hygiene rating.
A 5 star food rating is the best and means diners are willing to spend an average of £8 more on a meal at your restaurant.
But consumers will still eat at restaurants with a 4 or 3 rating but 80% would not eat at a restaurant with a 2 star food rating.
Do you Have to Display Food Hygiene Ratings?
In Scotland and England, it is not mandatory to display your food hygiene rating but it is law in Wales and Northern Ireland.
What is Checked During a Food Inspection?
The inspection will check:
• How you handle food
• How food is stored
• Hand washing facilities
• Cleanliness of facilities
• Adequate cleaning equipment
• Waste disposal
• Staff training
• Record-keeping
• Cross-contamination controls.
These are just a few of the things that are checked during an inspection.
Being audit-ready
By having a cleaning and food management system your restaurant should be audit-ready at any time.
The 4 Cs of Food Hygiene
Cleaning, cooking, chilling, and cross-contamination are the four major areas every food business needs to focus on.
Cleaning
A cleaning schedule means staff are accountable for cleanliness. A commercial kitchen needs cleaned on a daily basis and a deep kitchen clean every few weeks.
Cooking
The handling, storing, preparing, and cooking of food must be done properly to avoid germs spreading and causing illness.
Ensure all of your staff are properly trained and your kitchen is organised with everything labelled.
Chilling
If food isn’t chilled properly, it can lead to food poisoning. Understanding the basic rules on how to chill food could save you from spreading germs and getting a poor food hygiene rating.
Cross-contamination
Cross-contamination happens when bacteria spreads from one place to another. This can happen in lots of ways such as storing cooked and raw food together or wiping down surfaces with a cloth that had just been used to wipe down a raw food prep area.
Top Tips to get a 5 Star Food Rating
• Ensure high touch areas such as handles are cleaned regularly
• Create a cleaning schedule to ensure accountability
• Ensure all staff have proper food handling training
• Encourage a clean culture by communicating this with staff
• Carry out hand hygiene audits
• Provide cleaning supplies and training on their proper use to staff
• Provide protective clothing such as head coverings
• Keep records of accidents, cleaning, and everything else to easily find these if there’s a problem
• Ensure the layout of your kitchen doesn’t create cross-contamination issues by separating raw and cooked food areas.
Restaurant Cleaning Companies
Your staff will have a lot to do already and cleaning can get put on the back burner.
Hiring a cleaning company to clean your restaurant for you can help ensure your kitchen meets the appropriate standards and ensures accountability.
It means your kitchen is always audit ready and it can save you money on fines, damage to your reputation, and sick pay.
If you’d like a FREE site survey, contact us today.
