A POPULAR seafront restaurant has been handed a new food hygiene rating after scoring one in a previous inspection.

Marrocco’s on Hove seafront was told to make “major improvements”, following an inspection on September 27.

Owner Peter Marrocco said lockdown meant the restaurant’s hygiene logs had not been kept up to date, and a fault with the fridge system had led to the low score.

The Argus: Marrocco's on Hove seafront has been given a new food hygiene rating of fiveMarrocco's on Hove seafront has been given a new food hygiene rating of five

But after a visit from a Brighton and Hove City Council food safety officer on Thursday, the Italian restaurant and ice-cream parlour was given a new score of five, meaning its hygiene standards are seen to be “very good.”

Five is the highest rating a venue can achieve, while zero is the lowest.

Peter said he was “very happy” with the new rating, and that his “fantastic team” will ensure its high standards are maintained.

The family-run Italian restaurant, which was founded 50 years ago by Peter’s father Renato Marrocco, received a score of three in a previous inspection carried out by Brighton and Hove City Council in 2019.

The Argus: Marrocco's on Hove seafront has been given a new food hygiene rating of fiveMarrocco's on Hove seafront has been given a new food hygiene rating of five

A rating of five means the hygiene standards are very good and fully comply with the law.

To achieve the highest rating, facilities must be clean and kept in good condition, with good ventilation, hand washing facilities and pest control.

The food hygiene rating scheme is run in partnership with the Food Standards Agency and local authorities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The rating shows how well the business is doing overall, based on standards found at the time of inspection.

The ratings can be found online and on stickers which are displayed at business premises.

The back of the sticker and the online rating will also show the date of the inspection by the local authority’s food safety officer.

A food safety officer from the local authority inspects a business to check that it follows food hygiene law so that the food is safe to eat

Businesses which are given low food hygiene ratings of zero or one must make urgent or major improvements to hygiene standards.

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