Blackpool Victoria Hospital kitchen's five star rating

The award comes after an unannounced visit by Environmental Health inspectors from Blackpool Council, which also saw food preparation and cooking areas examined, alongside paperwork.

Kitchen manager Darren Cadwell said: “To have the first star rating again is absolutely fantastic, but for me anything less is not a second thought.

“As a hospital we have to have five stars and it really does make all the hard work that goes into making 3,000 meals a day worth it.”

Senior site services manager Yvonne Widdows added: “This award is a real achievement when you think about the amount of food we produce every day, but it’s important to us that we stay on top of requirements all the time.”