HOTELS, restaurants and cafes in the Cotswolds are celebrating after being awarded the highest rating for food hygiene.

Details of inspections from February and March have been released and a total of eight food establishments - hotels, cafes, B&Bs, restaurants and sandwich shops - in the district were awarded five stars.

When working out what rating to award a business, Cotswold District Council (CDC) officers check how hygienically food is handled, the condition of the building and how the business manages its processes for making sure food is safe.

If a business is awarded five out of five, it means staff there are spot on with their hygiene procedures. The lowest score an eaterie can receive is zero.

In February this year five stars were awarded to Four Pillars Hotel in South Cerney, Ambleside B&B in Tetbury Upton, Rave Coffee in Cirencester, The Lunch Box in Lechlade, The Green Dragon Inn, near Colesbourne, and The Coterie in Cirencester.

In March Lindsey's cafe in Tetbury and Lemington Lakes in Moreton-in-Marsh received the highest rating of five stars.

Owner of The Lunch Box sandwich shop in Lechlade Abbie Morse said she was so chuffed to see her new business receive the highest rating.

"I just opened in January and I rang the council before I opened to ask what I needed to do," she said. "I really wanted five stars - I worked so hard to get everything right."

Helen Thomas at Rave Coffee said all the staff were extremely proud to maintain their high food hygiene rating.

She said: "It means customers can enjoy their visit to our cafe and roastery in the confidence we take great care over our hygiene standards and as such their health and well being matters to us."

Have you recently been award a five star food hygiene rating in March or April? Email mar@wiltsglosstandard.co.uk to let us know.