Rowsley's multi-award winning Peak District hotel and restaurant, East Lodge, has numerous accolades and titles to its name, yet the walls at East Lodge keep filling with further certificates and accreditations for excellence. The latest to be added to the already impressive and growing list is the much sought after 5 Star Hygiene Award, awarded by Derbyshire Dales District Council for Food Hygiene. 

Having recently undergone a major £250,000 refurbishment, the kitchen at East Lodge has been transformed. Behind the traditional appearance of the country house hotel is now an all new state- of-the-art kitchen, complete with the latest, top of the range equipment and while East Lodge has always scored well for hygiene, they can at last now boast the top rating to match their top notch kitchen.

East Lodge Head Chef, Simon Bradley, knows a good kitchen when he sees one all thanks to his remarkable experience and amazing career so far. Simon has trained as an apprentice chef at the Ritz in Paris before working under Raymond Blanc, honing and perfecting his skills at two Michelin star rated le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons. Simon has also worked alongside the BBC's Great British Menu critic, Oliver Peyton. 

Awarded by Derbyshire Dales District Council, the 5 star award for Food Hygiene is based on the National Guidance and Code of practice. As most people are familiar with the 5 Star concept this allows customers and businesses a quick method of establishing compliance with legislation - and who's top for hygiene within the industry. Gaining the top 5 star rating is not something easily achieved or that can be boasted by many.

"The success we have generated is testament to the hard work all our staff put in, and the procedures and practises put in place by our Head Chef Simon, who always delivers a dining experience to remember and food to the highest standards," said East Lodge's Deputy Managing Director, Iain Hardman. "It is an honour to receive 5 stars for Food Hygiene, and putting this award alongside the others on the walls at East Lodge not only shows to visitors how hard we work, but that we really care about everything we do."

Owned by the Hardman family, the multi-award winning venue has remained at the top by constantly improving its service and living by the motto that good enough just isn't good enough. This motivation and determination for excellence has led not only to the development of the new Chef's Table, but to this former Hotel of the Year to becoming one of only 48 hotels in the country to be awarded a Visit England Gold Award. Recently East Lodge scooped the silver award at the national finals of the Enjoy England Excellence Awards for Outstanding Customer Service and have been voted Readers choice in the Westside Restaurant of the Year Awards 2011.