1:46pm Thursday 24th January 2008
By Lawrence Marzouk
Diners in swanky restaurants and greasy spoons across Sussex will soon be able to check up on food hygiene before they go in.
The Scores on the Doors system, started in Brighton and Hove last October, is to be introduced to the rest of the county by April next year.
From police stations to top restaurants and hospital canteens to delis, the ratings system will put the spotlight on the hygiene highs and lows of east and west Sussex.
The scores on the doors allows customers to make an informed choice of whether to take that early morning fry-up or late-night kebab.
In Brighton and Hove, many restaurants have welcomed the new openness.
But opponents, including ice-cream outlet Marocco, in King's Esplanade, Hove, have complained the information is often outdated.
The ratings range from a "poor" zero to an "excellent" five and can be checked online at www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/foodsafety. A group of Sussex environmental health offices has now agreed to bring in the scoring system in April 2009, providing a year to check ratings.
A report to Rother District Council yesterday reveals: "The delay will allow officers time to check the consistency of scoring across the two counties and give notice to businesses that the scheme is being adopted.
"This will also businesses time to improve standards before they are scored.
"Once a food premises is scored its number of stars will not change until the next inspection, which could be two years alter.
"The aim of the scheme is to improve standards of food safety."
The Freedom of Information Act already allows the public to ask for copies of food hygiene inspection reports.
Scores on the Doors uses the environmental health officers last inspection and translates it into a score from one to five.
In Brighton and Hove more than 1,000 outlets have been graded with the top performers ranging from a sandwich bar in a former public loo, Banjoís in Norfolk Square, to the De Vere Grand Hotel.
Geoffrey Theobald, chairman of Brighton and Hove City Council's environment committee, said: "We are the first in the south east to do the scores on the doors and it has been a real success.
"We had 37,000 hits in the first week and our residents and visitors have been able to check out the what is going on behind the scenes.
"I welcome that Sussex is the other councils are following on from Brighton and Hove.
"When people come to Brighton and Hove we want them to have a really good time and see that it is clean and tidy."
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