Stockport has the best food hygiene ratings in Greater Manchester.

That's according to a new study which shows that only one in 51 of Stockport's eateries have a food hygiene rating of 2 or lower, well below the national average of one in 32.

The study, carried out by Cairn Catering Engineers, also found that 81.3 percent of the borough's food spots had the highest hygiene rating of 5 stars.

It puts Stockport top of the pile out of Greater Manchester's 10 local authorities.

Bolton takes up the bottom spot, with 8.5 percent of its eateries scoring 2 or below.

Within Stockport itself, SK5 (Reddish and Brinnington) has the most low ratings (4.3 percent of 161 rated businesses were rated 2 or below), against 0.7 percent in SK1, the town centre.

The hygiene rating of businesses is given by the Food Standards Agency (FSA).

Working in partnership with local authorities, the FSA scheme gives businesses a rating from zero to five. A five-star review means the venue's hygiene standards are 'very good' and fully comply with the law.

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To get the top rating, businesses must do well in the following three elements of an inspection:

• How hygienically the food is handled – how it is prepared, cooked, re-heated, cooled and stored
• The physical condition of the business – including cleanliness, layout, lighting, ventilation, pest control and other facilities
• How the business manages ways of keeping food safe, looking at processes, training and systems to ensure good hygiene is maintained. The officer can then assess the level of confidence in standards being maintained in the future.

If the top rating is not given, the inspection officer will explain to the business what needs to change.

You can view the full study here.