News

More food hygiene ratings to be seen

Published

12 years ago

October 28, 2013

WHEN people buy their food, they want to be sure that the place they’re buying from follows good food hygiene practices.
After all, those businesses that aren’t hygienic put consumers’ health at risk, from minor cases of food poisoning to more serious, even fatal, illness.
That’s why, from November this year, a new law introduced by the Welsh Government will mean that businesses in Wales that serve or sell food will be required to display their food hygiene rating at their premises.
The scheme will cover places where people eat out, including restaurants, takeaways, mobile caterers, cafés, hotels and pubs; places where people shop for food, such as supermarkets, bakeries and delicatessens; and establishments such as schools, hospitals, children’s nurseries and residential care homes.
The statutory scheme introduced by the legislation will be based on the current voluntary Food Hygiene Rating Scheme, operated by local authorities in partnership with the Food Standards Agency (FSA)
Food outlets will be rated from 0-5 on criteria such as how the food is prepared, cooked and stored and the condition of the premises and how food safety within the business is managed. A 5 rating means hygiene standards are very good and 0 means urgent improvement is necessary.
Good food hygiene is important to consumers and food businesses too and the new scheme will benefit both consumers and food businesses.
For consumers, the rating will mean they are able to make informed decisions about where they choose to eat or shop for food.
For businesses, good food hygiene means a good hygiene rating. This could increase trade, as well as meeting food law requirements and protecting their customers from foodborne illness. Every business is capable of achieving a rating of 5 and food businesses that comply with food hygiene requirements have nothing to fear from the new law.
More than 23,000 food businesses in Wales have already received a rating under the voluntary scheme, and many have improved their rating following advice from their local authority food safety officer.
Under the current voluntary scheme, however, businesses do not have to display their rating sticker if they do not wish to do so, meaning the information is not always readily available for the consumer as they enter the business.
The new law in Wales will mean that food businesses will have to display their rating in a prominent place – such as the front door or window – and at every entrance.
The business operator and relevant staff will also have to provide the information verbally if asked, either in a face to face situation as well as over the phone.
Local authority officers will enforce the statutory scheme in their area and ensure ratings are correctly displayed and should be contacted by businesses which need advice on the display of stickers and how the legislation will apply to them.
Local authorities will issue new stickers from the end of November and businesses will be required to display these.
As well being displayed at businesses’ premises, ratings will also continue to be available on the FSA website at food.gov.uk/ratings
From November 2014, the scheme will be extended to include food manufacturers, wholesalers and transporters that supply to places where people eat and buy food.
The new scheme will put Wales at the forefront of promoting the standards of food hygiene – this has to be good for consumers and good for business, too.

News

Extra funding boost for Saundersfoot Library

Published

5 hours ago

May 14, 2025

Tom Sinclair

SAUNDERSFOOT COMMUNITY COUNCIL has increased its donation to Saundersfoot Library in a bid to help the facility grow and continue providing a valuable service to both residents and visitors.

The library, which is one of the few in Pembrokeshire run almost entirely by volunteers, offers far more than books. Visitors can access photocopying, public computers, local newsletters and magazines — including those produced by the council — as well as food waste bags and a wide range of useful information.

The facility is also being used by a newly-formed Welsh Conversation Group, which meets on Wednesday mornings, and by the Saundersfoot in Bloom group. Plans are in place to extend public opening hours to include Mondays in the near future.

Councillor Alec Cormack, Chair of Saundersfoot Community Council, said: “We’re really keen to support the library in any way we can – it’s such a fantastic asset for the village. We hope this extra funding will help it become even more useful and accessible to everyone.”

The library is run under the leadership of Regency Hall Trustees Averil Upham and Moira Saunders, alongside support from Sam Woolley and Anita Thomas at Pembrokeshire County Council.

Pictured (left to right): Emma Price (Regency Hall Manager), Averil Upham (Regency Hall Trustee managing the library), Cllr Alec Cormack, and Sue Boughton-Thomas (Regency Hall Trustee).

Community

Hedgehogs successfully rehomed at Bluestone National Park Resort

Published

5 hours ago

May 14, 2025

Tom Sinclair

THIS month, May 2025, Bluestone National Park Resort in Wales has rehomed three juvenile hedgehogs aged one year old as part of the five-star holiday resort’s long-standing partnership with Pembrokeshire Hogspital. Pembrokeshire Hogspital rescues and rehabilitates sick, injured and orphaned hedgehogs, returning them to the wild in most cases.

Three hedgehogs, twin brothers and a single unrelated female, are now in the process of a soft release at Bluestone National Park Resort. A purpose-built lodge is made for them, gradually they are given more space, the fences are then taken away, and food will continue to be provided for them until eventually they are successfully integrated into the wild.

Marten Lewis, director of sustainability at Bluestone, said: “Over the past five years, Bluestone has been part of several heartwarming hedgehog releases. This spring we were delighted to have rehomed and released more hedgehogs who have received incredible care from Pembrokeshire Hogspital. This one is extra special as we also got a little help from our community, asking Bluestone’s social media followers to name the hedgehogs’ new ‘lodges’; so, the new official lodge names are Tŷ Draenog and Hodge Lodge.”

Bluestone has a longstanding partnership of five years with its local Hogspital, having donated money for an intensive care unit to provide incubators for looking after baby hedgehogs; and serving as an emergency release site, which is a safe place for hedgehogs that are ready to leave the Hogspital but for a variety of reasons can’t be taken back to where they were found.

Find out more about how people and the planet are at the heart of Bluestone National Park Resort and book a stay at bluestonewales.com

News

Public safety warning issued for Ward’s Yard and Criterion Quay

Published

6 hours ago

May 13, 2025

Tom Sinclair

THE PORT OF MILFORD HAVEN is urging members of the public to stay away from Ward’s Yard in Milford Haven and Criterion Quay in Pembroke Dock due to ongoing concerns over public safety.

Despite enhanced security measures, individuals continue to access both sites illegally—damaging fencing and ignoring prominent warning signage in the process.

Both Ward’s Yard and Criterion Quay (also known locally as the offshore jetty) are privately owned by the Port of Milford Haven. The Port has warned that any unauthorised entry constitutes trespassing, and incidents involving criminal damage could result in prosecution.

Niall Yeomans, Head of Health, Safety and Security at the Port of Milford Haven, said:
“Safety is our key priority. Members of the public are continuously putting themselves—and our staff—at risk of serious harm by trespassing in these areas.

“Both locations are isolated and lie adjacent to deep water, making them particularly hazardous. There is a serious risk of slips, trips, and falls.”

The Port is asking anyone who witnesses suspicious activity at either site to contact Dyfed-Powys Police immediately by calling 101.