Popular Sunderland city centre Wetherspoons pub The William Jameson awarded five-star food hygiene rating

The William Jameson, in Sunderland, has gained the top rating for its levels of hygiene in the council’s Scores on the Doors programme.

Ratings range from zero to five-stars, with zero meaning urgent improvement is required, one-star meaning major improvement is necessary, two-stars indicating some improvement is necessary, three meaning hygiene standards are generally satisfactory while four means hygiene standards are good and five means standards are very good.

During an inspection, officers look at areas such as hygienic food handling, cleanliness and condition of facilities and building, along with management of food safety.

In order to get a top rating of five, a business must do well in all elements of food hygiene standards and if this is not given the officer will explain the actions needed to improve.

Manager of the William Jameson Pub, Leanne Surtees, said: “We are delighted that we have gained the top rating and I’m sure our customers will welcome the news too.

“Standards of hygiene at the pub are of paramount importance.

“All of the staff work hard to ensure that the pub offers its customers the highest levels of hygiene at all time and we are delighted that our efforts have been recognised with the five-star rating.”

The inspections are ordered by the Food Standards Agency, an independent government department working to protect public health and consumers’ wider interests in relation to food.