WITH a winter lockdown forcing eateries to close their doors earlier this year, restaurants in Basingstoke have had the opportunity to improve their establishments, allowing customers to experience higher standards from their go-to restaurants.

While a large percentage of restaurants kept food hygiene standards high, with a food hygiene rating of 4 and 5, the Basingstoke Gazette recently investigated the lowest ranked eateries scoring a 3 and below.

Scores are ranked by a food safety officer, who inspects a business to check that it follows food hygiene safety laws so that the food is safe to eat.

The Food Standards Agency inspects a business and rates it from a scale of zero to five, with zero being the lowest and five being the highest.

Inspectors check the following criteria:

Food inspections gives businesses a rating from 5 to 0 which is usually displayed on the front of their premises and online so you can make a careful decision about where to buy and eat food.

5 – hygiene standards are very good

4 – hygiene standards are good

3 – hygiene standards are generally satisfactory

2 – some improvement is necessary

1 – major improvement is necessary

0 – urgent improvement is required

Below are the Basingstoke eateries that scored a 3 or below:

Charcoal Grill - 3

Chineham Indian Cuisine - 3

Fun House - 3

J and C Academy - 3

BNC Gurkha Grocery - 3

Chi Street Food - 3

Eastrope Stores - 3

HOWAH - 3

Miss Aneta Polish Food - 3

Oakridge Fish and Chips - 3

Sunny Chinese Takeaway - 3

The Swan Inn - 3

Shangri-la - 3

Tang Chinese Restaurant - 3

The Sun Inn - 3

Village Bakery - 3

Cromwell Balti - 3

Honesty At Dummer Down Farm - 1

Welcome Buckskin - 1

Cafe Giardino - 1

Towers Restaurant - 1

Turners Butchers - 1

Joes Kebabs - 1

South View Stores - 1

If your business features on the list and you would like to inform us of any improvements you have made to your establishment, please email harvey.lindsay@newsquest.co.uk