We’ve Achieved a Food Hygiene Rating of 5!
As a business in the reuse space that cleans food containers to use again before refilling them with food products, this is doubly important for us.
We are thrilled to announce that during our recent inspection, our premises were awarded a 5 – Very Good hygiene rating under the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme.
What Does a “5 – Very Good” Rating Mean?
The Food Standards Agency, in partnership with local authorities, runs the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. A rating is given after an inspection by a local authority food safety officer, who evaluates:
- how hygienically food is handled: preparation, cooking, re-heating, cooling and storage
- the physical condition of the business premises: cleanliness, layout, ventilation, lighting, pest control, and other facilities
- how well food safety is managed and maintained: training, systems and processes to maintain high standards over time
A score of 5 means that our hygiene standards are very good, and they fully comply with food hygiene laws.
Why the Rating Matters to Us (and You)
- Trust & Transparency
As a business in the reuse space that cleans food containers to use again before refilling them with food products, this is doubly important for us. When you buy food from us, you can trust that we take hygiene seriously, right down to the smallest details. - Safety First
For us, food safety is not just about meeting legal requirements, it is about safeguarding the health of our customers, our staff, and the wider community. A high rating reflects our commitment to food being safe to eat, every time. - Continuous Improvement
Achieving a 5 is not the end, but a milestone. We will keep training, refining our processes, and listening to feedback to ensure standards stay high. - Staff Pride and Culture
Achieving this rating is a team achievement. It reflects the dedication, diligence, and care of our staff. It shows our culture of responsibility and pride in the work we do.
What We Did to Achieve It
Our business and many of our processes are novel - they haven't been done for reuse before.
To address this, we worked closely with the fantastic Angela (of Angela Purshall Food Safety) to develop our HACCP, working through all elements of our process and workflow to ensure we are doing everything possible to be safe and hygienic.
Her expertise ensured we were set up correctly from the outset.
To achieve a 5, having a robust plan is a great start - then you need to execute it and put it into practise. In this our team have shone, particularly Helena whose diligence and attention to detail is second to none.
Our systems and processes ensure:
- rigorous training of all staff on food handling, cross-contamination, cleaning, and storage
- maintaining strict cleaning regimes and monitoring them carefully
- ensuring our premises are well designed for hygiene, with good layout, proper ventilation, and pest control
- having robust systems in place for tracking food safety, covering how foods are purchased, stored, prepared and served
Thank You
We want to take this opportunity to thank Angela, Helena and our whole team for their hard work and commitment. And most importantly, thank you, our customers, for your ongoing support and feedback as we continue to push the (reusable) envelope!
