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Recipe for a great meal out in the Dales this Christmas

Make sure your recipe for eating out in the Derbyshire Dales this Christmas includes an online search of food hygiene ratings.

That’s the advice from Derbyshire Dales District Council, which is recommending people to book into local eateries with a rating of 3 or more.

The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme rates food businesses on their hygiene standards, based on inspections carried out by the District Council. Businesses in the area are rated on a scale ranging from 0, which means ‘urgent improvement necessary’, to a top rating of 5, which is ‘very good’.

A District Council spokesperson said: “Don’t only consider the menu if you’re planning a festive meal out with family, friends or work colleagues, or just grabbing a quick lunch when out Christmas shopping – make sure you check the hygiene rating too.

“Look out for the green and black food hygiene rating stickers displayed on windows and doors to find out how businesses in the Dales area are doing. If you can’t see a sticker, then ask staff or check online at www.food.gov.uk/ratings.

“Christmas is a busy time for our local restaurants, cafes and pubs and the good news is that the majority of food businesses in the Derbyshire Dales are rated 3 or above. The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme makes it easier for everyone to choose to eat out in places where food hygiene is taken seriously.”

A total of 721 food businesses of the 821 inspected in the Derbyshire Dales have a rating of 3 or more – and an impressive 474 boast a top 5 stars rating.

Catriona Stewart, Head of the Food Hygiene Ratings Team at the Food Standards Agency, said: “This scheme is a great tool when choosing where to eat out, particularly when celebrating a special meal, because it tells you what’s going on in the kitchen and behind the scenes. For local eateries, a good rating will be good for business during the festive season.”

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We went over to Birchover on Friday night and discovered that the Druid has gone out of business, permanently so the locals say. Having said that, it wouldn’t surprise me if the chef was now at the Red Lion: nestled among the regular fish and chips’s etc on the menu is now such things as pan-fried pigeon, with black pudding and prosciutto. And delicious it was, especially at prices less than £8!

RickG

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