°¬˛ćAƬ has approximately 600 food businesses. It is the responsibility of the Council's Commercial Team to check that all food premises understand and comply with food safety legislation.
Officers in the Commercial Team undertake the following activities in support of the above:
- Carry out regular food safety inspections in local food businesses and guest caterers, supporting businesses to comply with current food safety legislation
- Offer practical advice to food business operators to enable them to operate safely
- Investigate all food related complaints concerning unsafe food, food premises and practices and take appropriate action as necessary
- Carry out regular food and water sampling
- Carry out checks on imported food
- Respond to food alerts
- Regularly inspect local food manufacturers
- Register food businesses operating within °¬˛ćAƬ and monitor the Borough for new businesses
Environmental Health Officers (EHO’s) in the Commercial Team implement the food hygiene rating scheme within °¬˛ćAƬ in partnership with the Food Standards Agency. Any business where consumers can eat or buy food, such as restaurants, takeaways, cafes, sandwich shops, pubs, hotels, supermarkets and other retail outlets that sell food are included in the scheme.
All food businesses included in the scheme will be given a hygiene rating following a routine food hygiene inspection. A rating is given based on the performance of the business against the following key areas that is evident at the time of the inspection:
- How hygienically food is handled
- The condition of the structure of the premises
- How food safety is managed and documented, including food hygiene training and awareness.
Further information in relation to the food hygiene rating scheme including advice to businesses in respect of registering as a food business, sourcing food hygiene training and controlling infectious diseases can be found on the links to this page.
A full list of the food hygiene ratings available for premises with °¬˛ćAƬ can be found here:
In addition to the above the Council produces an annual service plan which provides further detail on the work undertaken by the Commercial Team in respect of food hygiene. A copy of the latest plan is available below.
If you wish to report any issues or make complaint about a food premises within °¬˛ćAƬ then please contact 01495 369542, email environmental.health@blaenau-gwent.gov.uk or alternatively (Please use Chrome, Edge or Safari browser to report your issue. The form will not work in Internet Explorer).
Contact Information
Commercial Team
Telephone Number: 01495 369542
Address: Public Protection – Environmental Health, General Offices, Steelworks Road, Ebbw Vale, NP23 6DN
Email Address: environmental.health@blaenau-gwent.gov.uk