The Whatcom County Health Department recently announced the recipients of their annual Silver Platter Awards. The award is intended to recognize “excellence in safe food handling and is given to dining establishments that achieve outstanding scores during routine food safety inspections throughout the year.”
Of the 32 recipients of the 2015 awards, 2 were from Ferndale. They were the Ferndale Dairy Queen restaurant and Grant’s Burgers mobile food truck.
This is the Ferndale Dairy Queen’s second Silver Platter Award in as many years and they have been awarded others in the past according to owner, Scott Whitman.
Whitman told Discover Ferndale a substantial paradigm shift has occurred in the food service industry. “Years ago, staff would be trained in the ways of best customer service and told it was the number one priority. Today, the number one priority is food safety.”
According to the Health Department, only about 2.4 percent of the Whatcom County dining establishments licensed in 2015 met the criteria set for the Silver Platter Award. To receive an award, establishments must comply with the Washington State Retail Food Code and consistently receive excellent scores during Health Department food safety inspections throughout the year.