Spice Cottage goes from one to five-star food hygiene rating

Spice Cottage, off Worcester Road in Malvern Link, was given a one-star rating in November but owner Shahin Ahmed always maintained that any areas for improvement had already been addressed.

He said it’s been a frustrating few months waiting for the re-inspection to take place.

“We just wanted to get it done as soon as possible,” he said. “When they gave us the one-star rating we’d already applied for a re-inspection.

Staff at the restaurant are delighted with the new rating (Image: Spice Cottage)

“And when I spoke to the inspector, even he was frustrated because of the time it had taken.”

Mr Ahmed blamed a "silly mistake" for the one-star rating.

"There is a lot of paperwork involved in running a restaurant, it is taking me back to school days," he said.
"But now I am on top of the paperwork right now and I will definitely not make that mistake again. 

Mr Ahmed said he is grateful to Spice Cottage’s loyal customers.

“They have been very supportive, but some have been sceptical,” he said.

“They’d say to me ‘the food is wonderful, the place is clean’ but a technical issue has caused the problem.

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“I’m glad it’s over and done with - but the local people have been so helpful.”

Spice Cottage is even offering a discount on orders over £20 to celebrate the new hygiene rating.

“We know people are going through a difficult time at the moment,” said Mr Ahmed, “so we’re trying to do something for our customers.

READ MORE: Indian restaurant owner says improvements made after one star hygiene rating

“With energy bills going up - that’s affecting us as a business but we’re trying to not put those extra costs onto our customers.”

Spice Cottage’s new five-star rating wasn’t featured on the Food Standards Agency’s website at the time of writing.

These are other the businesses from across the Malvern Hills district to have earned a five-star rating since the start of February, and the dates on which they were inspected:

Three counties Fish Bar, Barnards Green Road - February 14

Boundless Outdoors, Malvern Hills Education Centre - March 2

Costa, Church Street, Malvern - February 14

Kyrebrook Daycare Centre, Tenbury Business Park - February 28

Leon, Strensham Motorway Services (Northbound) - February 8

Shire Services at Chantry High School, Martley - February 13

The Hampstall, Astley Burf - February 23

The Talbot, Kempsey - February 22

Foley Arms (Wetherspoons), Worcester Road, Malvern - March 8

The Bayleaf in Church Street, Malvern, was given a four-star rating following an inspection on February 2.

Two businesses have been given three stars since the start of February - Vasai in Worcester Road, Malvern on February 8 and Yue Wah in Market Street, Tenbury on February 15.