Preston eating outlets with a food hygiene rating of three stars or less could face a dip in bookings, according to new research.

At present it is not mandatory in England for restaurants, pubs or takeaways to display their food hygiene rating – while in Wales it is.

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A survey by NFU Mutual found 44 per cent of people would turn away from their favourite or chosen place to eat.

Of 1,227 premises in Preston more than 200 have a rating of three stars or below for food hygiene. The scoring is from zero, which runs the risk of the premises being closed, to five stars, where it has excellent food preparation and cleanliness.

Hospitality sector specialist at NFU Mutual Darren Seward said: “Our report shows that when it comes to food safety customers have naturally high standards and that a ‘good’ score can no longer be seen as an aspiration but a minimum benchmark.

“Hopefully, any future legislation will drive excellence in food safety and it’s important that businesses don’t forget that the ratings are there to keep people safe as well as to uphold their place in a competitive market.”

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Wales and Northern Ireland already demand all food serving premises to display their food hygiene rating, and the government has indicated this could come into force in England by 2019. This would force all restaurants, takeaways or other outlets to have their score out of five in the front door or window on a sticker.

A poll by NFU mutual found 88 per cent of consumers are in favour of the mandatory display of food hygiene ratings in England.

Vote in our poll below to let us know how you feel about the ratings

The British Hospitality Association has responded to the research saying any mandatory scheme must be ‘fair and consistent’.

Food safety adviser Dr Lisa Ackerley said: “It is reassuring to see that consumers are engaged with this scheme. The research shows that good food hygiene ratings are extremely important for consumers and food businesses alike.

“We would like to see improved consistency and a fairer appeals process, more timely revisits and more rapid ways of reassessment for low risk, easy to fix issues.”

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Preston is the second worst authority in Lancashire for low scores on food hygiene – with 16.79 per cent of premises scoring three or under – only Hyndburn is worse with 21.82 per cent of premises.

Here’s a breakdown of premises in Preston with a food hygiene rating of zero or one. You can search for any premises using the Food Standards Agency website.

The Sun Hotel in Friargate has a score of one-star at present Pic: Tony Worrall

Zero stars

Charlies Sarnies, 91 Fishergate Hill. Last inspected 24 May 2016.

One star

Bakehaus Deli and Catering, 133 Manchester Road. 22 September 2016.

Chomas Grill House, 169 St Pauls Road. 16 March 2016.

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DDs Road Chef, A6 Broughton. 15 November 2016.

Don Mario, 49 Blackpool Rd. 17 November 2016.

Hussains Spice and Fruit Centre, 230-232 New Hall Lane. 17 December 2015.

Ignire Shisha Cafe, 68 Watery Lane. 14 July 2016.

International Mini Market, 242 Ribbleton Lane. 6 September 2016.

Lazeez NW Ltd, Deepdale Mill Street. 27 September 2016.

Metro, 192 Ribbleton Avenue. 15 December 2016.

Mo’s Munch, New Hall Lane. 7 December 2016.

Naafiah Takeaway, 138 Manchester Rd. 8 March 2016.

Nasza Biedronka, 169 New Hall Lane. 19 April 2016.

Pound Box, Hole Slack Road. 14 January 2016.

PR2 Bakery, Tag Lane. 3 February 2016.

Quick Shop, Ribbleton Avenue. 25 April 2016.

Sun Hotel, Friargate. 4 November 2015.

Vohra Stores, Lauderdale Street. 10 September 2015.

Watery Lane Convenience Store, Watery Lane. 2 December 2015.

What does a low score mean?

The FSA state: “Those with ratings of ‘0’ are very likely to be performing poorly in all three elements and are likely to have a history of serious problems. There may, for example, be a lack of sufficient cleaning and disinfection, and there may not be a good enough system of management in place to check and record what the business does to make sure the food is safe.”