Newspaper stories about restaurants, cafes and hotels with bad food hygiene ratings now feature on a weekly basis in local and national newspapers. Restaurants throughout the UK have found themselves under intense scrutiny due to the food hygiene ratings they’ve been issued. These ratings, which offer insights into the cleanliness and safety standards of dining establishments, have become trending news stories in both traditional and digital media platforms. Digital hygiene systems such as GuardStar help to prevent these unwanted news stories which can destroy a food business.
This week in April there are stories Slough and South Buckinghamshire Observer (Sea World Burnham receiving a 1 Star Hygiene rating). In the Dudley News that a range of new restaurants an cafés received Hygiene Rating from one to five. That Kebab Kid Turkish Restaurant in Oxford received a one star Hygiene rating in the Oxford Mail. And food hygiene turnarounds also received news coverage after an Italian restaurant went from a One star toa five star rating in Hertfordshire in the Herts Advertiser online. Other newspapers ran stories on restaurant hygiene ratings in Doncaster, South Cumbria, Worcester, Romford, Basingstoke, Sheffield, Harrogate, Somerset, Birmingham, Manchester, London, Coventry and Blackpool.
Reports surrounding food hygiene ratings have become particularly widespread and popular in local news outlets and online publications due to their ability to attract high readership and engagement. Articles focusing on restaurants receiving low hygiene scores often garner significant attention from the public, as consumers are naturally concerned about the safety and quality of the food they consume. Environmental health also publish the data on a monthly basis which the newspapers receive and its an easy online article for them which gets lots of attention. The Stories are then posted to twitter, X, facebook and Instagram where they quickly go viral. But the restaurants, cafes or Hotels reputation and turnover can plummet overnight if the rating is a one or two hygiene rating. We have seen Indian restaurants and Chinese takeaways go from turnovers of 20 thousands pounds a week to three or four thousand pounds a week. Such is the power of these negative stories.
The popularity of food hygiene ratings news stories can be attributed to several factors; Consumer Awareness and Concern, with a growing emphasis on health and well-being, consumers are increasingly conscious about the hygiene standards of the places where they dine. News stories that highlight low food hygiene ratings serve as a valuable resource for informing the public and empowering them to make informed decisions about where to eat.
Impact on a restaurants business, the repercussions of receiving a poor hygiene rating can be dire for restaurants. Negative publicity resulting from low ratings can significantly impact a restaurant’s reputation and bottom line. As consumers pay heed to these ratings, businesses with subpar hygiene standards may experience a decline in patronage and revenue.
Digital transparency and accountability in the online era. Food hygiene ratings serve as a form of accountability for restaurants, encouraging them to uphold rigorous cleanliness standards. By publicizing these ratings, local newspapers and online news outlets hold businesses accountable for their hygiene practices and promote transparency within the food industry. Gone are the days where consumers would only find out a restaurant or cafes hygiene rating by seeing the sticker on the door or asking. Everything is online now. We live in the digital era.
Health and Safety Concerns: Food safety is a fundamental aspect of the dining experience, and consumers are understandably concerned about the implications of poor hygiene practices. News stories that shed light on restaurants with low ratings raise awareness about the importance of food safety and prompt discussions on how businesses can improve their practices.
The prevalence of food hygiene ratings news stories in local newspapers and online platforms underscores the significant impact of these ratings on both consumers and businesses. By drawing attention to restaurants with varying hygiene standards, these news articles play a crucial role in promoting transparency, accountability, and public health in the dining landscape. There has never been a more important time to have a digital food safety system such as GuardStar protecting your premises and guiding you to a good hygiene rating.
https://www.sloughobserver.co.uk/news/24280519.sea-world-burnham-gets-1-food-hygiene-rating/
https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/24272632.oxfords-kebab-kid-earns-poor-food-hygiene-rating/
https://www.hertsad.co.uk/news/24277580.verdis-given-top-food-hygiene-rating-major-improvement/