THE towns and cities across the South West that score highest and lowest for their food hygiene ratings have been revealed.

Food establishments in Weston-super-Mare had an average food hygiene rating of 4.5 out of 5.

Weston was 11th in a list of 13 towns in the South West.

Bournemouth had the highest rating (4.81), while Bath was at the bottom of the table with a score of 4.36.

The South West was first in the regional rankings.

(Image: High Speed Training)

The data was gathered by the Ilkley-based online training provider High Speed Training.

Their report, which analysed Food Standards Agency (FSA) data for over 215,000 food businesses across England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales, found that in the South West.

The average food hygiene rating across all food establishments was 4.66 from over 21,000 premises, which places the region top of the national rankings.

The study also found that the biggest city in the region, Bristol, scored 4.60 on average, from over 2,000 premises.

High Speed Training’s report also found that 13 per cent of takeaways across the South West scored a 3 and below on their food hygiene rating, and that 20 premises across the region received a zero.

Promisingly, 92 per cent of all premises, and 93 per cent of restaurants, cafes, and canteens, scoring a 4 or a 5.

A North Somerset Council spokesperson said: “A rating of 4 or 5 means that the hygiene standards have been found to be ‘good’ or ‘very good’, so it’s really encouraging to see the high proportion of businesses in Weston-super-Mare achieving these top ratings.

“We work with the very small proportion of premises that are non-compliant to ensure that they improve standards and achieve a ‘broadly compliant’ food hygiene rating.

“There are several enforcement options available to us and we also give advice and guidance to make sure these improvements are made.

“During an inspection where improvements are needed, our Food Safety Officer will also tell the business how quickly these improvements need to be made, depending on the type of issue that needs to be addressed.

“We’re very pleased to see the high percentage of good and excellent performing food businesses both in Weston-super-Mare and also the South West region.”

Dr Richard Anderson, head of Learning and Development at High Speed Training comments: “Food safety and robust hygiene practices should be of paramount importance to food businesses.

“Recently, we have seen many high-profile cases of food poisoning and illnesses caused by food-borne bacteria.

“This is why food hygiene ratings are so important - they are a direct reflection of how safely and hygienically that establishment operates and are of critical importance to consumers.

“For businesses that perform well, a high rating is a real selling point.

“However, establishments with a low hygiene rating can be extremely off-putting for customers, which ultimately have a significant impact on reputation and profitability.

“Our report shows that, on average, standards remain high across the UK, and have improved from 2023.

“This commitment to correct food hygiene training for staff, alongside robust food management procedures and everyday good practices are crucial to keep performing at high standards.

“We would also urge customers to check the food hygiene ratings of establishments they wish to dine at, so that an informed call as to whether you eat there can be made.”