A POPULAR community pub has been celebrating after it received its most recent food hygiene rating. 

The Open Hearth, in Sebastopol, Pontypool, sits on the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal and is a family-friendly location popular with dog walkers, hikers, locals and tourists alike. 

The Food Hygiene Rating Act 2013 became law in Wales on March 4, 2013, requiring all businesses selling food in Wales - including pubs, cafes, restaurants, hotels, takeaways, schools, hospitals, canteens, care homes and corner shops – to display hygiene ratings in a prominent place, and to provide the information verbally if requested over the phone.

Inspections are carried out by the local authority officers, and ratings - from zero, meaning urgent improvement is necessary or they may risk closure; to five, meaning standards are excellent - are updated on the FSA website. Businesses have the right to appeal against ratings.

Each inspection is carried out under three categories - hygienic food handling, which covers preparation, cooking, re-heating, cooling and storage, cleanliness and condition of facilities and building, covering including having appropriate layout, ventilation, hand washing facilities and pest control, and the management of food safety, which is defined as the system or checks in place to ensure that food sold or served is safe to eat, evidence that staff know about food safety, and the food safety officer has confidence that standards will be maintained in future. 

Following a recent food hygiene inspection on Monday, June 10, the pub's staff have been celebrating as they have been awarded five stars, the highest rating possible. 

According to the report, The Open Hearth has been classed as 'good' in each of the three categories reviewed during the inspection, namely hygienic food handling, cleanliness and condition of facilities and building and management of food safety.  

The Open Hearth team confirmed the news on their Facebook page on Wednesday, June 19, writing: "We are pleased to announce we have again maintained our 5 star food hygiene rating!!

Huge shout out to our fabulous team who always work their socks off to maintain the best results. Team Hearth all the way."

You can follow the Open Hearth on Facebook and find out more about offers, live events and opening hours.