A FLAGSHIP hotel on Aberystwyth’s seafront has been given a zero food hygiene rating following an inspection.

The Belle Vue Royal Hotel, owned by businessman Vince Morgans, was rated as needing to make “urgent improvement” to the management of food safety and requiring “major improvement” to hygienic food handling.

The rating was set after an inspection on 6 March which found that the management of food safety, a category which includes systems or checks about whether food that is sold is safe, whether staff know about food safety and if it is believed that standards will be maintained, needed urgent improvement.

The hygienic handling of food, including preparation, cooking, reheating, cooling and storage, was also assessed as needing major improvement.

However, the cleanliness and condition of facilities and the building, which includes the layout, ventilation, hand-washing facilities and pest control, to enable good food hygiene was classed as being generally satisfactory.

A spokesperson for the county council said, even though recent inspections had been carried out at the Belle Vue, the zero rating was still in place.

It is believed that the hotel has gone through a refurbishment, including a modernisation programme of the kitchen, since then. However, Mr Morgans could not be contacted for a comment.

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