Derbyshire food venues that put a premium on local produce and offer consistently high levels of service can now aim for a new quality mark that seeks to raise the bar and boost consumer confidence.

Official tourist board Visit Peak District & Derbyshire is launching Taste Derbyshire to encourage businesses ranging from take away food shops to large hotels to guarantee the best possible standards in eating out across the county.

Accreditation will only be given to venues that provide an overall quality experience to customers - taking into account factors such as use of local food and suppliers, menu, presentation, customer service, staff knowledge and facilities.

Premises - including everything from bistros and bars to pubs, tearooms and restaurants - will be assessed during an independent 'mystery shop'. At the end of the visit, the assessor will introduce himself or herself and reveal the rating that will be awarded, followed by a written report pinpointing where standards can be maintained or improved.

Businesses achieving more than 80 per cent will receive a Highest Quality Assured Award, while those scoring between 60 and 79 per cent will qualify for a Quality Assured Award.

The mouthwatering new initiative - the first of its kind in the East Midlands - will be officially launched at a reception for invited guests at Chatsworth during British Food Fortnight on Wednesday September 29, when the first Taste Derbyshire recipient will be revealed.

"Taste Derbyshire offers the perfect opportunity for our eating out venues to gain recognition for the quality standards they already achieve, and we hope it will act as an incentive for them to strive for even higher levels of service," said Lindsay Rae, the tourist board's Quality, Skills and Business Support Manager.

"We also believe it will reassure both local people and visitors that accredited establishments offer a consistently good eating out experience that they can count on. We'd love to hear from any Derbyshire food or drink venue keen to be assessed as part of this exciting new initiative."

To celebrate its launch, Taste Derbyshire assessments are being used in the judging process for Derbyshire County Council's annual Food and Drink Awards. Shortlisted venues in the Restaurant of the Year, Best International Restaurant and Gastro Pub of the Year categories will receive Taste Derbyshire accreditation.

The scheme follows hot on the heels of a project involving five counties including Lancashire, piloted by Quality in Tourism, which operates the national star rating scheme for tourist board VisitBritain. Hopes are high that Taste Derbyshire will follow in Lancashire's successful footsteps - offering prize-winning places to eat, special events, food trails, local recipes and much more.