A LOCAL pub in Gwent has recently been awarded a good food hygiene rating following a recent inspection. 

The Olympia, a branch of JD Wetherspoons, in Tredegar, Blaenau Gwent, had a food hygiene inspection on Wednesday, March 13.  

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. 

According to these three categories, The Olympia was classed as good in the hygienic food handling and their management of food safety, while the cleanliness of facilities and building was given a grading of generally satisfactory. 

As a result of these gradings, the overall food hygiene rating given to The Olympia has been four stars, or good. 

Pub manager, Rachel Stanley, said: “We are delighted that we have gained a top rating and I’m sure our customers will welcome the news too.

“Standards of hygiene at the pub are of paramount importance.

“All of the staff work hard to ensure that the pub offers its customers the highest levels of hygiene at all time and we are delighted that our efforts have been recognised." 

The Olympia on Morgan Street is open 8am to 12am seven days a week.