THE HUSBAND and wife behind a popular cafe are ‘very pleased’ after the business received its latest food hygiene inspection.
Ermi’s Sandwich and Bubble Tea Bar in Droitwich has received a five-star food hygiene rating after being downgraded to four in 2024.
The cafe was allegedly downgraded due to not having an extractor fan in the restroom, something that has now been rectified.
Neil Harris, who owns Ermi’s Sandwich and Bubble Tea Bar with his wife, Emma, said: “The reason it went to four was that there was some issue with the ventilation.
“There should have been an extractor fan in the restroom, but the building is really old, and it’s been 16 years trading doing what it has been doing.
“It’s never had an extractor fan. But they came along and said, oh you should have an extractor fan; I’m going to take a star off you.
“That’s the reason it went down. It was a ventilation issue.
“The rules are the rules; if that is what she said, that’s what she said. That has been rectified.
“They came back on July 20, and we are very pleased to be back at five stars.
“We do try really hard; we do the best we can, so we are really pleased.
“Feedback has been excellent. We’ve had quite a few people mention it and say congratulations.
“The main difference between four and five stars really for the business is confidence. People are just more confident with the product you are supplying them.”
The pair took over Ermi’s Sanchwich and Bubble Tea Bar on Droitwich High Street three years ago and have since made a number of changes, including adding more food options and using Droitwich salt.
Mr Harris added: “When we took the business over, it was mainly just doing pork baguettes and breakfast, that kind of thing.
“Emma introduced bubble tea to the business, and now we have a full range. We get some really good feedback with that.
“We’ve introduced a lot of other new products as well, like our breakfast flatbreads, which are quite popular at the moment.
“We’ve also actually started using Droitwich salt, which is the brine underneath that’s pumped out. We use that on our shoulders rather than using what the shop used before, which was just normal table salt, I believe.”