TAKEAWAYS are often unfairly painted as grubby and unhygienic, writes Michael Jones.

Yet, out of 520 takeaways and sandwich shops across Gwent, an impressive 186 have a five-star food hygiene rating.

By law, any business selling food in Wales must be inspected and have a food hygiene rating.

Inspections are carried out by local authority officers and businesses are ranked from five to zero.

The rating is determined by these three elements:

• How hygienically the food is handled - safe food preparation, cooking, re-heating, cooling and storage

• The condition of the structure of the premises - cleanliness, repair, layout, lighting, ventilation and other facilities

• How the business is managed to make sure food is safe so that the officer can be confident that standards will be maintained in the future

Does a five-star hygiene rating matter?

“It is important – the customer likes to know that what they are buying is to a good standard,” said Marco Belloi, owner of Bettws Fish Bar.

“I am sure if you had a low one it would be to a detriment, but we’ve only ever had a five rating.”

This is echoed by Scott Watkins, who owns the Vegan Box in Caerphilly alongside Gareth Jones.

“People really focus a lot on the hygiene rating,” he said.

“At the end of the day, it proves to customers that we are doing all the right things and preparing our food correctly.”

Younis Ahmed, Coffee Thirst Express owner, says it is “something that we are proud of”.

“Ever day, we make sure we are meeting the expectations of the customers.”

Isn’t it all just pen-pushing and paperwork?

Records have to be updated and paperwork filled, but Mr Belloi said: “A lot of it is just common sense.

“We have to ensure the fridge temperatures are right and the food is prepared in a clean way, too.”

And Mr Watkins said that once you know the “ins and outs of the process,” it’s fairly straightforward.

Mr Ahmed sees the paperwork as an essential ingredient.

“I think the paperwork is required to be able to ensure that we are reaching the standard our customers expect.”

Mr Ahmed said part of the process is also preventing contamination of different foods ensures allergies are not mixed and that vegetarian and vegan food is not touched by meat products.

So, which takeaways and sandwich shops have a five-star rating in your part of Gwent?

Blaenau Gwent

• Brynmawr Express Pizza

• Chop Suey House

• Church Street Fish Bar

• Domino’s Pizza

• Frenchies

• Golden City

• Jade Garden

• Market Fish Saloon

• Marmaris Pizza and Kebab House

• Ollie’s

• Shane’s Fish Bar

• Sirhowy Chippy

• Tasty Bites

• The Big Fry

• Wongs 34

• Yummee

Caerphilly county borough

• Aberbargoed Fish and Chips

• Aberbargoed Indian Takeaway

• Bargoed Fish Bar

• Berni’s Fish and Chip Shop

• Bhaji Indian Takeaway

• Bombay Spice

• Breakfast in Bread

• Cascade Fish Bar

• Castle Fish Bar

• Central Fish Bar

• Chip Stop

• Delicious Sandwich Bar

• Deri RFC (catering hut)

• Domino’s Pizza (all three)

• Dragon Palace

• Erhan’s Chargrill

• Fish Kitchen 1854

• Flames Kebab

• Gaffa’s Go Fresh

• Gelligaer Fish Bar

• Golden Sun

• Golden Way

• Good Fortune Takeaway

• Hong Kong fish bar

• Kings

• Kwong Ming

• Lee’s Kitchen

• Luis Plaice

• Mango Express

• Marmaris Kebab House

• May House

• Naz Spice

• Nelson Pizza

• New Kings Chinese

• New Markham Fish Bar

• New Rainbow

• Newbridge Fish Bar

• Papa John’s Pizza

• Pizza hut

• Pizza pantry

• Red Diamond

• Rhymney Oriental

• Rising Sun

• Sam’s Grill House

• The Avenue

• The Chip Shop Llanbradach

• The Emperor

• The Square Chippy

• The Vegan Box

• Ty Jade

• USA Fried Chicken

• Village fish bar

• Volare

• Wales Kebab House

• Webbers Fish Bar

• Wing Wai

• Yummies

Monmouthshire

• Angelos Fish Bar

• Beveridge and Co

• Chozen Noodles

• Curry Queen

• Divine Training and Nutrition

• Domino’s Pizza

• Full House Chinese Takeaway

• Gilwern Village Fish Bar

• Indian Summer Monmouth

• Jones’ Plaice

• Kibby’s Fish Bar

• Magor Chinese Take Away

• Mardy Fish and Chips

• Milano Pizza

• New China

• No 12 Fish and Chips

• Picnic Baguettes

• Pizza Bella

• Queens Fish and Chips

• Raglan Fryer

• Snack Bar and Abergavenny Town FC

• Sophie’s Snax

• Subway

• The Codfather

• The New Red Lantern

• Wonder Food

Newport

• A Touch of Spice

• Asaga Noodle Bar

• Beechwood Grill

• Bettws Fish Bar

• Bina’s Traditional Fish and Chips

• Bubble Trouble

• Burger King

• Celtic Balti

• Chicken Shack

• Chillies Indian Takeaway

• Chine Town

• Atlantica Snack Bar

• CJ Fish Bar

• Coffee Thirst Express

• Crispy Cod

• Diamond Grill

• Domino’s Pizza

• EFEC Grill

• Eshaals Fish and Chips

• Fresh Start No.2

• George’s Fish and Chip Shop

• Golden Bowl Takeaway

• Handpost Tandoori

• Hello Fried Chicken and Pizza

• Hong Sheng

• Kenabella

• La Pizzeria

• Leo’s Fish Bar

• Little India

• Lunch Box

• Ma Somerton Fish Bar

• Maesglaes Fish Bar

• New Best Kebabs

• Newport Grill

• Oriental

• Pepino’s

• Perilicious

• Pizza Hut Delivery

• Pontfaen Fish Bar

• Sandwich Bar

• SEN BBQ

• Shahnaz Balti

• Sheppards Fish Bar

• Snacks to Go

• Spicy Aroma Balti

• Tamarind Express

• Top Taste Pizza and Kebab

• Twinz Takeaway

• USA Chicken

• Wai Wai Takeaway

• Wok Inn

• Yummies

Torfaen

• BBQ Pizza World

• Chip and Fin

• Choice

• Chutney Pot Takeaway

• Deano’s

• Domino’s Pizza

• Elgam Fish Bar

• Food 4 u 2 Go

• Greggs (x4)

• Heritage Plaice

• Horeshoe Inn Fish and Chip Shop

• Lakeside Fish Bar

• Lee’s Kitchen

• Lotus

• Maendy Way Chippy

• Mayo’s Fish Bar

• New Yummies

• Pages Fish Bar

• Papa Johns

• Perfect BBQ

• Pizza Dough

• Pontnewydd Fish Bar

• Porky’s Pizzeria

• Snack Attack

• Subway

• Taste Good

• The Chippy

• Warren’s Foods