ASHFORD Borough Council has launched a new scheme to help people make informed choices about where they eat.

Their "Scores on the Doors" is a new way of discovering the food hygiene standards of business across the borough which are now given a star rating on how well they meet nationally set criteria.

The environmental health team inspects more than 700 premises across the district including restaurants, cafés, pubs which serve food and takeaways, all of which have been given a star rating.

You can also find out how clean school canteen rates, which are the best rated butchers, caterers and farm shops – even the food hygiene standards of mobile sandwich vans.

All food business inspected by the council’s Food Safety Officers are given a star rating score on how well they perform in terms of hygiene, building structure and overall attitude towards complying with the law.

The Scores on the Doors website gives more detail and shows when each business was last inspected, their star rating and how they fare under the three main criteria of hygiene standards, building structure and management.

*For full story, see the Kentish Express on Thursday