Eddie. // any establishment that allows animals into food service areas can not be awarded a 4 or 5 star food hygiene rating//
That’s not true. Hygiene ratings are about food handling. Plenty of pubs that allow dogs have the highest rating.
//The food safety officer inspecting the business checks how well the business is meeting the law by looking at:
• how hygienically the food is handled – how it is prepared, cooked, re-heated, cooled and stored
• the condition of the structure of the buildings – the cleanliness, layout, lighting, ventilation and other facilities
• how the business manages and records what it does to make sure food is safe
At the end of the inspection, the business is given one of the six ratings from 0-5. The top rating of ‘5’ means that the business was found to have ‘very good’ hygiene standards.
[NOTE:] Any business should be able to reach this top rating.//
https://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/hygiene-rating-schemes/ratings-find-out-more-en