The Heartbeat Award scheme is run by the Council's Food Safety Team who work with caterers to ensure that they have:
The scheme is run with the support of the Oldham Primary Care Trust and successful businesses receive a certificate that can be displayed on the premises and used in their advertising.
2007 saw the fifth round of annual awards since the scheme was re-introduced in Oldham and the number of successful candidates continues to rise. When the awards were re-launched in 2003, they were initially aimed at workplace caterers as places where customers visited regularly. However, following the Foods Standards Agency campaign to highlight hidden high levels of fat, salt and calories in ready prepared foods, the Council extended the scheme and winners now include restaurants, cafes, pubs, residential homes, schools and takeaways.
Caterers who have proved they met all the above criteria were rewarded for their hard work when the Mayor of Oldham, Councillor Ann Wingate, presented 51 local businesses with their certificates on 22nd November 2007. These awards are valid until the end of November 2008.
The winning businesses have all made great efforts to change cooking methods and ingredients to improve the nutritional quality of their food, and to make sure it is prepared and served in a safe and healthy environment.
Many of the businesses have had to work hard and overcome significant opposition to introduce menu change and provide smoke free dining areas.
To view a list of the businesses that have received a Heartbeat Award, please click on the links below: