A SCHOOL kitchen has been given a top star rating by a council scheme that monitors food hygiene and standards.

Vale of Berkeley College, which supplies meals to three surrounding primary schools plus its own canteen, has been given a five star ‘excellent’ rating on the Scores on the Doors website.

The website is a partnership between five Gloucestershire councils and Stroud district has inspected over 500 local businesses to give them a rating out of five for food handling practices, food safety management and the standard of cleaning and equipment.

Hilary Smith, school cook at Vale of Berkeley, said: "There are four cooks in this kitchen and we are very busy preparing food for Berkeley and the other schools. We were very pleased to get the five star rating."

The Vale of Berkeley kitchen cooks meals for Cam Hopton, Sharpness and Stone with Woodford Primary School and has improved from a four star rating last year to five stars this year.

To find out the scores of a local food place in the district visit www.scoresonthedoors.org.uk