Bar and restaurant regains top hygiene rating

A new bar and restaurant in Morpeth has revealed that it is back to five stars when it comes to food hygiene.
A picture of the bar and restaurant in November from the Pleased to Meet You Morpeth Facebook page.A picture of the bar and restaurant in November from the Pleased to Meet You Morpeth Facebook page.
A picture of the bar and restaurant in November from the Pleased to Meet You Morpeth Facebook page.

Pleased to Meet You (PTMY) on Bridge Street received the top rating following an unannounced visit from Northumberland County Council officers on February 10, after it previously achieved a one-star score.

The lowly score was awarded following a visit from officers on January 10. Ratings are posted on the Food Standards Agency website.

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Pleased to Meet You, run by Crafted Projects (a division of the Ladhar Group), was opened in October 2021 after a major redevelopment of the former Queen’s Head.

Crafted Projects director Barry Ladhar said when the one-star rating was announced that PTMY Morpeth was awarded a five-star rating after a visit on November 3, 2021, so the team were “hugely disappointed to have received a short-term downgrade” as it was found on January 10 that “the kitchen was found not to be of the standard on which we pride ourselves”.

He added: “Following an internal investigation that day we found that, due to staff shortages and illness, the kitchen team were stretched and had not followed company procedures that morning.

“We concluded these shortcomings were unacceptable, leading to the head chef and other senior members of the kitchen team being immediately replaced.

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“The concerns raised were rectified promptly and an application submitted to the council the following day.

“I’m pleased to advise that council officers attended on January 14 to review matters, meet the new head chef and, following an unannounced visit on February 10, commented that they could see that the kitchen was back to its initial five-star standard.”