Food hygiene ratings: 35 Lancaster and Morecambe eateries fail to meet ‘satisfactory’ standard

A further 16 eateries in the Lancaster district also failed to meet “satisfactory” standards at their last inspections, according to data from the Food Standards Agency (FSA).

From chip shops to hospital kitchens, cafes to hotels, every business serving food must be inspected by council officials – with each given a rating out of five for food hygiene.

And this week we can reveal how clean your favourite restaurants, takeaways and cafes really are.

The good news is 939 of the district’s 1,187 inspected eating places scored full marks for their hygiene standards, with another 162 gaining a “good” four-star rating.

But 34 failed to meet the “generally satisfactory” three-star grade.

Three were given zero ratings by inspectors, meaning “urgent improvements” were needed.

Click here for a full rundown from zero through to five stars

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Among those to receive a five star rating was The Dukes theatre in Lancaster.

Deputy front of house manager Simon Nixon said: “In The Dukes café bar, we aim for the same professionalism that goes into producing our shows so we’re very pleased that this has been reflected in The Dukes maintaining a five star hygiene rating.”

Lauren Armett, deputy manager at the five star rated The Study Room, said staff work hard to maintain their excellent standards.

She said: “We put a lot of work in to make sure all our staff are always on top of things and the bar and kitchen are always clean.

“The bar is open and on show to the public so it’s important for us.”

Lauren said they have their rating on show both behind the bar and in the window, and it can help instil confidence in customers.

She added: “Quite a lot of people have asked us about our rating so it’s good that we can display it.”

The scheme is run by local authorities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in partnership with the FSA.

Local authorities are responsible for carrying out inspections of food businesses to check that they meet the requirements of food hygiene law.

Ratings are based on how the food is handled, the condition and cleanliness of the premises and the management of the business, which includes good record keeping.