THE owner of a coffee shop and restaurant in Newport has spoken of his pride at the consistency of his top food hygiene ratings. 

Jason Gaunt, who took over ownership of The Green Coffee Lounge and Restaurant in Caerleon in 2018, is incredibly proud of the five star food hygiene ratings the business has achieved since then. 

In the last six years, Mr Gaunt has taken the restaurant from a one star food hygiene rating to five stars, even on his first inspection. 

He said: "Since that first inspection, I have had three more inspections, and each time I've had a five star rating, first time every time. 

"I've never had a retake or retry. There are so many eating establishments in Caerleon, and I don't know how many can say that. 

"I can really proudly state we've been so consistent with our ratings."

The Green Coffee Lounge and Restaurant's most recent inspection was on Wednesday, August 14, when Mr Gaunt and his team secured yet another five star food hygiene rating. 

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. 

The Green Coffee Lounge and Restaurant was given a grading of very good for hygienic food handling, and good for both cleanliness and condition of facilities and building and management of food safety. 

The Green Coffee Lounge and Restaurant is on Goldcroft Common in Caerleon, and is open 9.30am to 3.30pm Sunday to Thursday, and 9.30am to 4pm on Friday.