Belfast eateries to be rated online

[Square Ball]

Restaurants and cafes in Belfast will soon be rated online under proposals to publish food safety information on a 'Scores on The Doors' website.
Councils across the UK have already signed up to the pilot initiative and on Wednesday night, Belfast City Council voted to follow suit.

It hopes to encourage food safety compliance and reduce food poisoning.

Eateries will be rated on the degree of compliance with food hygiene laws. It is hoped the site will be up by spring.

"Publishing this information will be a handy tool for consumers, allowing them to make an informed decision about where they eat," Councillor Peter O'Reilly, chairman of the council's Health and Environmental Services committee, said.

"It has the added benefit of encouraging Belfast's restaurants, cafes etc to keep food standards high.

Rating

"People will be able to log onto the website and check the rating of their local restaurant and even their corner shop.

"Businesses will also be provided with a certificate and encouraged to display the information on their premises." 
Customers can view restaurants' commitment to food safety

The council said that the scheme has been hailed as a great success in the US and Canada, where it has been in place for 10 years.

Damian Connolly, environmental health manager with Belfast City Council, said recent inspections showed the vast majority of food outlets in the city had high food safety standards.

The council believes the rating system will ensure they remain focussed on maintaining these standards

Although in the early planning stages, the council intends to follow a rating structure which awards 0-5 stars, five stars being the highest standard possible.

Premises rated will include everything from supermarkets to hotels and fast food restaurants.

The council plans to score all of the approximately 2,800 food businesses in the greater Belfast area and publish the result of inspections online from late spring.

An interesting and easy concept, but its only for food hygiene pity it wont cover the quality of whats on offer

[Stalin]

Any predictions on what kind of rating the might Temps will get? surely its the only 'eaterie' in Belfast with its very own DJ?

[Square Ball]

is he hygienic?

[TORGAEL]

its a good idea & if it keeps the hygiene levels higher in restaurants etc, it can only be a good thing......you can see people catching onto this & checking any particular venues hygiene rating before deciding to eat there............i would !

[Square Ball]

this was started in january, a long time ago.

so here we go, if its not on  is it good?

Website puts safety on menu 

Serving up the best - council's new guide to Belfast's eateries
The truth about hygiene at your local chip shop or at a top city restaurant is merely a mouse click away.
From Wednesday, the details of food safety inspections at 1,400 Belfast eateries will be available online at Belfast City Council's website.

Only premises where inspections happened on or after 1 July 2006 will be included.

Belfast City and Banbridge District councils have already signed up to a scheme aimed at improving food safety.

"Scores on the Doors" is a new website which aims to protect the public.

Businesses are awarded 0-5 stars. So far, on the database, almost three quarters of food businesses in the Belfast area have scored three stars and above.

Damien Connolly, environmental health manager with Belfast City Council, said: "This information will allow consumers to make an informed decision about where they eat.

"It has the added benefit of encouraging Belfast's restaurants, cafes, shops, pubs etc to keep food safety high on the menu."

Many local authorities across the UK have adopted the scheme with Lisburn and Carrickfergus councils due to follow Belfast and Banbridge's lead in the autumn.

In the USA and Canada, where legislation has been in place for 10 years, the scheme has been very popular. In New York, supporters say it has generally improved food safety and focussed restaurants on maintaining standards of excellence.

[AZOffaly]

I had a lovely bit to eat in a resaurant across from the Jurys in Belfast there the last time I was up for work. Bourbon or something? Lovely Steak mmmm....

[mooncatiii]

Any predictions on what kind of rating the might Temps will get? surely its the only 'eaterie' in Belfast with its very own DJ?

i couldn imagine it would rank to high, has to be th only "eaterie" that has had karoke and not mention about 4r5 bouncers on the door! it gets my vote anyway T T T

[AnDunYeGo]

Stalin and mooncat, have to agree, Temps is an absolute sketch when your waitin for your grub, that MC boy might be headhunted by villa italia soon !!!!!!

[mooncatiii]

the next MC  Hammer

[nifan]

I had a lovely bit to eat in a resaurant across from the Jurys in Belfast there the last time I was up for work. Bourbon or something? Lovely Steak mmmm....

Bourbon would be right.
Never been- always looked a bit rich for my blood!

[ExiledGael]

Should be interesting reading, the Belfast telegraph has published a list of the 21 establishments in Belfast that received no stars out of five ie very poor standard of hygeine, some surprises, some not surprising! Here's a few
The Emerald, Dublin Road
The Abacus, Eglantine Avenue
Esperanto, Lisburn Road
Katy Dalys, Ormeau Avenue
Rajput, Lisburn Road
Mandarin, Lisburn Road
King Kebab, Falls Road
Sonali, Lisburn Road
Il Bambino. Falls Road
Curry House, Glen Road
Katie's Kakes, Glen Road
Heaven Bridge, Stranmillis Road

This means Temps got at least one star 

[ExiledGael]

Just seen the site and Temps is not yet listed, maybe they're closing the kip!
Bourbon just got two stars, as did a good few hotels, Malone Lodge for one, f**king Renshaws has four stars!

[An Fear Rua]

what about the Sphinx chippy and the tatooed ladies?

[ExiledGael]

Neither of those are listed for some reason

www.scoresonthedoors.org.uk/search

[nifan]

The abaqus on eglantine - im shocked at that one