On October 1 Ashford Borough Council launched a brand new scheme which gives consumers the chance to make informed choices about where they eat or buy their food.

Scores on the Doors is a new way of finding out about the food hygiene standards of local food businesses which are now given a star rating based on how well they meet hygiene criteria with the results available on the Internet. The better the standard, the higher the star rating.

The Scores on the Doors scheme is supported by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) as part of a nationwide pilot scheme and is seen as an important tool for local councils committed to improving food safety.

The council’s Food Safety Officers inspect over 700 premises across the borough including restaurants, café’s, pubs which serve food and takeaways all of which have been given a star rating. You can also find out how clean your child’s school canteen is, which are the best rated butchers, caterers and farm shops – even the food hygiene standards of mobile sandwich vans

All the businesses they inspect are given a score on how well they perform in terms of hygiene, building structure and overall attitude towards complying with the law. The scores range from 5 stars (excellent) to no stars (very poor). The score given to each business reflects the conditions found on the day of inspection.

Whether you are dining out, looking for local produce or grabbing a sandwich on the go, you can do it in confidence by checking out the Scores on the Doors website.

You can find more information about Scores on the Doors by viewing our Frequently Asked Questions.