Restaurant praised by critics shocked by zero star hygiene rating

A restaurant which gained praise from critics has been hit with a shock hygiene rating. Queens Wine Bar and Bistro in Liverpool received a rating of zero stars, the lowest rating, following a visit from health inspectors.

The owners of the restaurant, which was praised by Observer food critic Jay Rayner, have said they are 'very upset' at the rating. The inspection took place in August, and saw the venue receive the lowest possible score.

Queens Wine Bar and Bistro opened five years ago, and has proven popular with diners and drinkers. More recently its food has gained it plaudits from critics, making the inspection all the more shocking for the restaurant's owners, the ECHO reports.

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The Food Standards Agency has said that the principle cause for concern at the venue was the management of food safety. It was reported that urgent improvement was required in this category.

A statement from Queens' owners said: "We acknowledge that we received a visit by an Environmental Health Officer who scored us at a 0. The findings related to food storage - in this case, a freezer - which the Environmental Health Officer was not aware of when they visited previously. Our standards at Queens are incredibly high, and it was changes in staffing and a matter of oversight on our part that this appliance wasn’t disclosed."

The statement added: "We have also already begun working with a food compliance officer, Katy Elliott, to help us implement additional processes and training to achieve the higher rating that we feel reflects Queens Bistro.

"We want to reassure everyone that there is no risk to our guests in the restaurant. This