A WORCESTER pub has won the highest possible award for its food hygiene – just a year after being told its kitchens were not up to scratch.

The Brunswick Arms in Malvern Road, St John’s, has scooped the city council’s prestigious five-star award for its food safety and hygiene following an inspection of its premises earlier this month.

The five-star award – which signifies “excellent: high standard of compliance with statutory obligations” – signifies a tremendous turnaround for the venue, which had originally only been awarded one star for its hygiene by the city council.

Landlord Chris Hankins said: “We’re pleased to have this award – we’ve earned it by doing everything the council told us to do.

“We’ve actually been operating at this high level for almost a year but the city council only came to re-inspect us this month.”

Mr Hankins and his wife Kelly – who conjures up most of the pub’s hearty, homecooked fare herself – undertook a major renovation of their kitchen following the one-star inspection late last year.

“We did everything from repainting the walls to monitoring temperatures in the fridges,” Mr Hankins said.

“People don’t realise the regulations cover all sorts of things in a pub – your beer cellar, the public toilets and how you dispose of waste.”

The council now publishes all its hygiene inspection results on a public website called Scores on the Doors.

Some local businesses have complained the ratings published on the website are not always up-to-date. Mr Hankins points out he has had to wait almost a year for his score to be updated to reflect the changes in his kitchen.

However, the council’s environmental health team insists the fear of being named and shamed is helping raise standards in food outlets across the city.

The scheme was praised by members of the city council’s ruling Conservative cabinet on Wednesday night as they approved an updated version of the city’s environmental health enforcement policy.

Francis Lankester, cabinet member for safer and stronger communities, said: “Something like Scores on the Doors is a good way of ensuring compliance with environmental health regulations.

“I think there were a few surprises among the list (of restaurants’ ratings) and the scheme shows the right balance between encouragement and enforcement.”

Council leader Simon Geraghty said: “Scores on the Doors has been a great initiative and obviously is encouraging businesses to improve their environmental health standards.”

  • As of today, 86 food outlets in Worcester have achieved the best possible rating for their food hygiene and safety since Worcester City Council began publishing its environmental health results.
    They are:

The King's Head, 67 Sidbury
Marks & Spencer - Cafe Revive, 39 High Street
Ferryfast Produce Ltd, 17 Shrub Hill Ind Estate, Cromwell Street
What's Cooking?, 18 Mealcheapen Street
Osborne House, 17 Chestnut Walk
Cherry Orchard Day Centre, 72 Orchard Street
Portobello Inn, 139 Bransford Road, St John’s
Isaac Maddox Coffee Shop, Isaac Maddox House, Shrub Hill Road
Elbury Park Service Station, 290 Tolladine Road
Wyatt Guest House, 40 Barbourne Road, Barbourne
DJ's, Blackpole Trading Estate East, Blackpole Road
Bennetts Foods Ltd, Manor Farm, Malvern Road, Lower Wick
Lidl, Blackpole Retail Park, Blackpole Road
Pitmaston House, Malvern Road, St John’s
Yamazaki Mazak Ltd, Badgeworth Drive, Warndon
Pitcher & Piano, 11-13 St Nicholas Street
Housewives Choice, 3 Church Street
Mencap, 180 Bromwich Road, St John’s
Sweet Delight, Chapel Walk, Crowngate
The Mayflower, Grenville Road, Dines Green
Marks & Spencer Food Hall, 39 High Street
DJ's Snack Bar, 31 Scafell Close
Lannies Catering, High Street
Eden Coffee Shop, St Peters Baptist Church, Eden Close, St Peters
Postal Order, 17-18 Foregate Street
Hereford & Worcester Fire & Rescue, 2 Kings Court (Atlantic House), Charles Hastings Way
Elgars Coffee Shop & Licensed Restaurant, Reindeer Court, Mealcheapen Street
The Butcher Boy, 116 Rose Avenue, Tolladine
Anchor Inn, 54 Diglis Road
Buddys Baguettes, 8 The Tything
Woodgreen Evangelical Church, Hastings Drive
WRVS, Blackpole Trading Estate East, Blackpole Road
Victoria House Day Nursery, 37/39 Lechmere Crescent, St John’s
Drummonds / Swan with Two Nicks, 28 New Street
Arboretum Inn, 53 Northfield Street
Brunswick Arms, 50 Malvern Road, St John’s
Pizza Hut Delivery, Brindley Place, Warndon
Hot Pot Cafe, Unit 4, Station Yard, Sherriff Street
Woodgreen Cottage Day Nursery, 1 Trotshill Lane East
Tesco, St Peters Drive, St Peters
Cranham Residential Home, 226 Cranham Drive, Warndon
Hunnybeez Nursery, 10-12 Wakeman Street, Barbourne
Sunbeams Mission Hall, Bromwich Road
Plumbers Arms, 76 Wylds Lane
Stickyfingers, St Stephens Pre School, Allenby Hall, St Stephens Street
H Dayus Family Butcher, 9 St John’s
Leapfrog Day Nursery, Brindley Road
Bed & Breakfast, 28 Tetbury Drive, Warndon
The Orchard Cafe, Worcester Countryside Centre, Wildwood Drive, Spetchley
Henwick Grange Nursing Home, 68 Hallow Road, St John’s
Spire Healthcare Ltd, 139 Bath Road
St Pauls Church, St Pauls Street
The Chestnut, 17 Lansdowne Road
Methodist Church Hall, Bromyard Road, St John’s
The Quay Restaurant, 4 South Quay (ground floor)
Nunnery Wood Primary School, Prestwich Avenue, Ronkswood
The Kings School, 5 College Green
Fermex International, Blackpole Trading Estate East, Blackpole Road
Worcester Porcelain Museum, Severn Street
Stanley Road Primary School, Stanley Road
Claines Royal British Legion, Cornmeadow Lane
Browns Restaurant, 24 Quay Street
Little Ginger Pig Company, City Museum & Art Gallery, Foregate Street
Burgage House, 4 College Precincts
The Winning Post, 6 Pope Iron Road
Farmers Boy, 166 Tolladine Road
The Cottage Nursery, St Marys School, Battenhall Mount, Battenhall Avenue
Shelly's Mobile Catering, Trinity Street / The Shambles
Regent House, School Road, St John’s
Cater In, 5 Packhorse Close
Ludlows @ Diva, 9-11 Copenhagen Street
Government Buildings (Eurest Catering), Whittington Road
Dairy Crest Units, Weir Lane Industrial Estate, Weir Lane
Warmans, 11 Mealcheapen Street
Jean's Kitchen, West Midland Tavern, Lowesmoor
Abbeydore Guest House, 34 Barbourne Road
Dancox House, St Clements Gardens
Madhatters Family Play Centre, Trinity House, St Nicholas Street
The Baked Potato Man, High Street
Royal Grammar Alice Ottley School (Eurest Catering), Upper Tything
T A Centre, Dancox House, 16 Silver Street
Allington Play-Tec, Worcester College of Technology, Deansway
Subway, Unit 7 Brindley Road, Warndon
M&R Convenience Store, 41 The Tything
St Swithuns Institute, The Trinity
Guest House, 26 Ombersley Road