STAFF at a cafe, a butchers and an old people's home are celebrating after receiving top hygiene awards.

Haidon Butchers, in Ombersley Street West, Dorset House, in Blackfriars Avenue, and The Garden Room, at Webbs of Wychbold Garden Centre, were all recognised in Wychavon District Council's Seal of Excellence Awards.

Only 15 businesses across the district reached the high standards set out in the award guidelines.

At last week's ceremony the winners were presented with a certificate which they can display all year round.

The criteria which the winners had to meet included having premises designed to permit good hygiene practices, systems in place for safe food handling and exceptionally high standards of cleaning.

Graham Simms, Wychavon District Council's environmental health commercial services manager, said: "The award scheme recognises food premises which are actively promoting and protecting the health of their customers by practising good food hygiene standards.

"In the future we hope to extend the scheme to village halls to reward the voluntary support they provide to the local community with appropriate facilities."

The awards were launched in 1991 and were called the Clean Food Award, to coincide with the Food Safety Act of 1990.

Then in 1996 the name was changed to its present title after regulations made the training of staff a legal requirement.