Restaurant's big turnaround

The Eating Inn on Blackpool Promenade was given a damning hygiene rating of 0 in September 2016.

Defending his business at the time, restaurant owner Ben Shorrock said he believed inspectors had been ‘heavy-handed’.

Following a new inspection in August, he is now the proud owner of an impressive rating of 5 - the highest possible grade awarded to a restaurant.

He said: “It’s a huge weight lifted from my shoulders.

“The timing of the inspection can mean all or nothing. Unfortunately for me, our last inspection was on a Friday night in the middle of the Illuminations.

“This time they came at a much more convenient time at 5pm on a Thursday.

“I have gone from a 0 to a 5.

“A huge weight has been lifted because I could have been shut down and given an order that would prevent me working in food establishments for life.

“Luckily I did the things that they asked me to do and they came back and saw that everything was up to standard.”

The Eating Inn has stood as a family restaurant on Blackpool Prom for nearly 40 years, and serves traditional, hearty British meals, with vegetarian and gluten-free options available.

Mr Shorrock took over the business fully in 2012. He said: “It will be nice to take my name away from the shame.

“We were called the most disgusting cafe in Blackpool. Some of the comments were heart-breaking. The public were getting the perception of some horror story. Certainly there is nothing wrong with our kitchen now.”