The video will start in 8 Cancel

Want the latest news from Swansea sent straight to your inbox? Don't miss anything from your city! Sign up for regular updates Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

An American fast food chain’s first branch in the UK, located in Swansea , has had a disappointing food hygiene rating.

Denny’s Diner in Swansea’s Parc Tawe, which opened on Christmas Day has proved hugely popular in its first few months in the city .

But it has been given a one star food hygiene rating by the Food Standards Agency. The lowest possible rating is zero.

And the chain, famed for its big American breakfasts such as stacked pancakes, grilled breakfast sandwiches and ‘slam’ breakfast plates, has been criticised by some on social media for, in their opinion, not displaying the certificate in a prominent position.

The sticker has been placed at the bottom corner of a window by the main entrance, alongside a planter.

The company has vowed to “fix” the issue “immediately”.

One Swansea resident said: “People are travelling from miles away for this American experience, the public deserve more than one star. People work hard for their money and I’m sure they don’t want to give it away.”

A spokeswoman for Denny’s, said: “The health and wellbeing of our customers is our priority and we acted immediately to fix the issues identified at our opening. We expect our re-inspection to confirm we are meeting our customers’ standards.”

Each business is given its rating when it is inspected by a food safety officer from the local authority.

What the food inspectors look for:

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.

The scoring system

Following an inspection each place is given a score ranging from zero to five. These are then made publicly available by the Food Standards Agency (FSA). Five means the business has “very good” hygiene standards.

A score of two signifies improvement is necessary, while a score of one means “major improvement” is needed.

A spokeswoman for the Food Standards Agency said that if a certificate was not displayed in a prominent position then the business could be reported to the local authority which had the power to prosecute, resulting in a fine.