A TOTAL of 21 eateries in Chester have been told significant improvements are necessary in their food hygiene standards following an inspection in the past year.

Twenty establishments received a score of one – meaning ‘major improvement necessary’ - on the Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) five-star scale.

And one Indian restaurant, Barton Rouge on Steam Mill Street, received a score of ‘0’, or ‘urgent improvement necessary’, following an inspection on July 25 this year.

A spokesman for the FSA said: “Ratings are a snapshot of the standards of food hygiene found at the time of inspection. It is the responsibility of the business to comply with food hygiene law at all times.”

The 20 restaurants and food premises with a rating of one are:

• Chai Street Food, 91 Brook Street, Chester. Last inspection: November 7, 2017

• Chester Halal, 66 - 68 Brook Street, Chester. Last inspection: November 9, 2017

• Chester Spice Market, 87 Brook Street, Chester. Last inspection: November 7, 2017

• European Food Store, 72 Brook Street Chester. Last inspection: July 3, 2018

• Gustum, 2 City Walls, Chester. Last inspection: January 4, 2018

• Hoole Indian Takeaway, 9 Charles Street Chester. Last inspection: April 25, 2018

• Muffin Break Chester, 15-17 Newgate Street, Chester. Last inspection: August 15, 2017

• S J Cartridge, Chester Market Hall, 6 Princess Street, Chester. Last inspection: August 11, 2017

• Thai By Thai, Chester Market Hall, 6 Princess Street, Chester. Last inspection: May 11, 2018

• The Caspian, 155 Foregate Street, Chester. Last inspection: August 30, 2017

• Yumis, 97, Garden Lane, Chester. Last inspection: February 23, 2018

• Rileys, Centurion Point, Victoria Road, Chester. Last inspection: August 23, 2017

• Sea Breeze, 40 Faulkner Street, Chester. Last inspection: January 15, 2018

• Cherry Local, 128 Christleton Road, Chester. Last inspection: January 13, 2018

• Polski, 5 Boughton, Chester. Last inspection: May 30, 2018

• Today Kebab, 3 Boughton, Chester. Last inspection: August 30, 2017

• Cheshire Platters, River Lane, Saltney, Chester. Last inspection: July 9, 2018.

• Love Masala, Chester Street, Saltney, Chester. Last inspection: July 18, 2018.

• Far East, 48 Chester Street, Saltney, Chester. Last inspection: August 23, 2017

• Vendees Local, 13 Queens Park View, Chester. Last inspection: June 2, 2018

Inspections judge a premises on a range of criteria, including: handling of food; how food is stored; how food is prepared; cleanliness of facilities; and how food safety is managed.

The food hygiene rating scheme does not provide information on the likes of food quality, customer service, culinary skill, presentation or comfort.

The FSA spokesman added: “The rating shows how well the business is doing overall, based on standards found at the time of inspection.

“The ratings can be found online and on stickers which are displayed at business premises. The back of the sticker and the online rating will also show the date of the inspection by the local authority’s food safety officer.”

At the inspection, the officer will check the following three elements:

How hygienically the food is handled – how it is prepared, cooked, re-heated, cooled and stored.

The physical condition of the business – including cleanliness, layout, lighting, ventilation, pest control and other facilities.

How the business manages ways of keeping food safe, looking at processes, training and systems to ensure good hygiene is maintained. The officer can then assess the level of confidence in standards being maintained in the future.

Customers who think they may have food poisoning are urged to seek medical advice from a GP and contact their local environmental health or food safety team.