QUALITY SCHEME FOR RESTAURANTS & CAFES

[West Country Chic]

From my personal experience of speaking to other local businesses there is a real need for a quality scheme for restaurants and cafes.
Many friends of mine that own eating establishments are proud of their good reputations and would like be members of a scheme that reassures 'joe public' of their diligence other than the food hygiene standards.
I have been told there is a local scheme 'up north' and wondered of there was any feed back on this?
We obviously promote the local establishments that we frequent but as a hotelier don't have time to visit every one every year!

[Raincliffe1]

Yes, I was told by my local EHO earlier this year that a pilot 'scores on the doors' scheme for restaurants and hotels which apparently had been trialled in the south with positive feedback was to be rolled out across the country. The scores would range from 1 to 5, 5 being the top grade. The areas you were rated on were past and present environmenal health reports, age of kitchen/equipment and training of staff/possession of relevant certificates - I'm sure there were other areas too.

I think a scheme such as this can only raise standards. Before we bought our present hotel we looked at quite a few and although the kitchen here we found not ideal, there were many we looked at that wanted condemning. Like many things there is a gulf in standards and practices.