AN owner from a city family chippy dynasty has come out fighting after his business was awarded a one-star hygiene rating.

Antony Porphiriou, owner of Ambleside Fish Bar, on Gresham Road, Dines Green, says his food is top-notch despite the lowly hygiene rating awarded by the city council.

Mr Porphiriou's family have owned the Ambleside Fish Bar, in Ambleside Drive, in Warndon for more than 40 years and last September opened a chippy in Dines Green.

The business was inspected after a week and told paperwork was not in order and major improvement was needed in the management of food safety.

But a return visit found the paperwork was now in order but the one-star rating will remain until September unless Mr Porphirou applies for a re-rating visit.

He said: "I do not care if we were given a zero star rating, I know my food and I know what we cook is good quality.

"It is a mistake. We were given a one star rating after being open for a week and apparently not having our books in order.

"I was told I would be seen again in a month but nobody came back and we are still waiting. I cannot believe they have not changed it by now."

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In the report, the chippy was rated generally satisfactory for both hygienic food handling and the cleanliness and condition of the facilities and building.

But major improvement was necessary for the management of food safety such as systems or checks being in place to ensure food sold or served was safe to eat.

Mr Porphiriou said he would not "beg" for a five star rating.

He said: "I have been in the business for 25 years and I am not giving them the satisfacton of begging for a five star rating.

"I have enough on my plate to worry about. They have never worked in a kitchen in their lives and do not understand."

A spokesman for Worcester City said: "A follow-up visit was carried out after the 1 September inspection, and it was noted that the required paperwork was in place at that stage. Such re-visits are undertaken to ensure improvements have been made, but do not result in the original rating being updated.

“A business owner can apply for a re-rating visit, for which there is a cost, but in this case no such a request has been received to date. Unless an application is received, the business will next be inspected in September.”