Springhill Hospice wins top food hygiene award

Date published: 02/05/2006

Patients, staff and volunteers at Springhill Hospice in Rochdale are celebrating achieving the gold level of Rochdale Council's food hygiene award scheme.

Linda Chadwick, responsible for catering and hygiene standards at the hospice, underwent a detailed assessment by the council's specialist food safety promotion officer, Ann Lynagh-Bland.

Ann said that the hospice deserved the top level of the award, as the hospice exceeds the legal requirements and is constantly striving to provide excellence as a standard.

The "Healthy Food Award" judges food business on nutrition choices, smoke free environment and food hygiene standards and is open to catering businesses, from cafes, restaurants and takeaways to nurseries, nursing homes and schools. Businesses are generally offered an assessment on their routine food hygiene inspection and businesses that qualify receive a certificate and window sticker.

Adrian Watson, Chief Environmental Health Officer said "The scheme is a reward for the better food businesses and an encouragement for other outlets. It will help customers to make better, clearer choices about all the catering services they use. It goes further than just food hygiene, to encourage good, nutritious food, served in smoke-free settings."