South Norfolk’s eateries are among country’s cleanest, according to new study

Restaurants and cafes in South Norfolk are amongst the country's cleanest, according to a new study.

The study, carried out my LoveMyVouchers.co.uk, found the district has the second highest percentage of eateries with a 'very good' rating, out of a total of 360 council areas in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (Scotland has a different rating system).

The figures show 92pc of south Norfolk's 129 restaurants and cafes have a top rating of 5, and a staggering 98pc have a rating of at least 4. There are no premises with a zero rating.

Lee Hornby, the councillor responsible for the regulation and public safety portfolio at South Norfolk Council, praised the top result.

Mr Hornby said: 'The health and well-being of our residents is a priority for the council and this is a fantastic achievement.

'One of the reasons that we rate so highly is down to the dedication of our food businesses in south Norfolk and to our proactive approach when helping start-ups and in assisting existing food businesses to comply with the law.

'Our good working relationships means that business owners are not afraid of asking for help and guidance when required.'

The findings follow an Archant investigation which showed that eateries across Norfolk and Waveney are getting cleaner. The investigation found that of the 8,700 restaurants, schools, takeaways and shops in the region inspected for food hygiene, 18 have been given zero out of five.But two of those 18 said they were awaiting better scores following a re-inspection.When we last looked at food hygiene ratings six months ago, 25 places in Norfolk and Waveney had the lowest score of zero.The inspections, carried out by local councils, rate hygiene standards on a scale of one to five at anywhere serving food from care homes to canteens. A rating of zero means 'urgent improvement is necessary', but a rating of two or below means standards need to improve.To check a score, visit the Food Standards Agency website, www.food.gov.uk, or go direct to http://ratings.food.gov.uk.