A BAKERY based in Blackwood has been awarded the highest possible food hygiene rating. 

A Slice of Paradise, a bespoke bakery based in Cefn Fforest, recently announced it had been given five stars in its first food hygiene inspection since opening. 

The bakery, which makes specialist cakes for any occasion, was facing its first hygiene inspection since opening in January of this year, and seemingly could not have had a better result. 

The overall rating of five stars suggests the bakery was awarded either good, very good or excellent in all three categories. 

Taking to their official Facebook page on Thursday, March 28, to share the news with their customers, the team behind A Slice of Paradise posted: "Very happy today – finally had our star rating from Caerphilly Council and we have five stars."

Customers were delighted at the news, sharing their congratulations in the comments. 

By law any business selling food in Wales is given a hygiene rating between zero and five, depending on inspection.

The Food Hygiene Rating Act 2013 became law in Wales on March 4, 2013, requiring all businesses selling food in Wales – including pubs, cafes, restaurants, hotels, takeaways, schools, hospitals, canteens, care homes and corner shops – to display hygiene ratings in a prominent place, and to provide the information verbally if requested over the phone.

Inspections are carried out by the local authority officers, and ratings – from zero, meaning urgent improvement is necessary or they may risk closure; to five, meaning standards are excellent – are updated on the FSA website.

Businesses have the right to appeal against ratings.

The inspections are given scores in three categories: hygienic food handling, cleanliness and condition of facilities and building and management of food safety.

Hygienic food handling includes the preparation, cooking, re-heating, cooling and storage of food, while cleanliness and condition of facilities and building means having an appropriate layout, ventilation, hand washing facilities and pest control to enable good food hygiene. 

The management of food safety category focuses on the systems or checks in place to ensure that food sold or served is safe to eat, evidence that staff know about food safety, and the food safety officer has confidence that standards will be maintained in future.