Blyth restaurant owner explains why business was given a zero

Laurence's Tapas Bar in Blyth, Northumberland, was handed a zero food hygiene rating and told to make "urgent improvements" following an inspection in November 2020.

The venue, which serves a mix of Mexican dishes with a hint of "Geordie", was subsequently re-rated and given a fresh five rating, days later.

Across the UK, food outlets are given a hygiene rating of between zero and five, based on hygiene and safety, structural compliance and confidence in management.

Businesses which fall below the expected standard, and rated two and under, are asked to make improvements.

But speaking to The Northern Echo, Jamie Eastlake, owner of Laurence's Tapas Bar, explained how undetected structural problems had caused the inspection to fail as he moved to reassure his customers.

Bar manager Cieran Faulder, Jamie Eastlake and head chef Isaak Robinson

He said: "We had only opened in September, we had only been able to open for about six weeks then the lockdown began.

"When we came in, we had hired a health and safety company to have a look and got advice on the venue.

"They had initially found we had some tabling issues down the side of the kitchen – but when we got the inspection, they had found out some of the wooden beams had rotted away, which he hadn't seen before we took on the lease."

"The council has then when its come in, said we can't give you a rating because of this."

Mr Eastlake, who said the opening of the tapas bar provided the "perfect opportunity" for Blyth as there are no other restaurants of that nature in the area, said the problem was swiftly dealt with.

He said: "We closed and then had a brand new ceiling put in.

"When we had heard we had got a zero, we were devastated because it makes it sound so much worse, but it just proves that we can do it – jumping to a five."

Hoping to put the inspection to one side, Mr Eastlake said the venue had now started planning a full programme of events for the summer.

He added: "We're still absolutely confident in the business, we are planning our full programme of events for the summer – it's all happy days.

"Our restaurant is a very niche thing, we are the only place really which doesn't have a restaurant like this and we just thought it would be the perfect opportunity for Blyth."

Official Food Standards Agency data provided by Northumberland County Council shows Laurence's Tapas Bar has a five star hygiene rating.