A SANDWICH shop owner is celebrating after receiving the highest hygiene rating just one month after taking it over.

Tracey Blundell bought the former Kershaw’s Sandwich Bar in Bolton Street on March 31 but was astounded to learn on the same day that the business had a zero hygiene rating.

Mrs Blundell said her business Expressos had suffered because of the rating.

She said: “I couldn’t believe it when I saw the article in the Bury Times. I had literally just paid the money that day and was due to take it over the day after. I was quite annoyed because I don’t think I would have bought it had I known it had a zero rating because of its reputation.”

Kershaw’s was inspected in October last year and was the only location in the borough to be hold the lowest possible rating.

Mrs Blundell has been working hard since she took over the business in an attempt to improve the reputation.

She said: “My business has been massively affected by it because who would want to buy food from somewhere with a zero food hygiene rating. It has cost me a fortune to set up and sort it out but I’m really pleased it has been done now.”

Expressos was visited by a food safety officer from Bury Council, who give the hygiene ratings last Thursday.

The food safety officer looks at how hygienically the food is handled, the condition of the structure of the buildings, and how the business manages and records what it does to make sure food is safe.

Mrs Blundell was given a 5* rating, the highest available.

She said: “I was overjoyed to get the top rating. It’s been hard work from a business point of view because of the lack of customers but I’m hoping that will change now we have this rating.”