A NEW 'veg-centric' restaurant in East Oxford has shaken off its predecessor's low hygiene score with a five-star rating.

Oxfork in Magdalen Road was taken over by Chester Arms owner Drew Brammer in June and became GAF – a cafe specialising in offering different brunch items and vegetarian evening meals.

The new team was faced with improving the premises that – under the name Oxfork – had been given a one-star rating due to its unhygienic Hollandaise sauce.

Mr Brammer's new staff were rewarded for their hard work since the takeover with a five-star rating from Oxford City Council environmental health inspectors earlier this week.

The co-owner said: "We were hoping to get a five and everyone here has put a lot of work in so we were all very happy when we found out.

"There were a few small structural things we changed but its mainly about a lot of paperwork and training the staff, which we have done.

"We are still using the same kitchen, same fridges and everything – just with a different set up of staff."

He added: "The rating is proudly stuck on the window out the front now."

The cafe serves "unusual" brunch items such as Turkish eggs and Gypsy toast – a variation on French toast with chorizo and peppers.

In the evenings it becomes a restaurant with predominantly vegetarian dishes and one fish dish.

Mr Brammer said: "It's been an interesting couple of months – people have been surprised by the change.

"Oxfork was very 'shabby chic' but GAF is more designer and very sleek."

Oxfork was criticised by inspectors for using fresh eggs and not pasteurised eggs in its Hollandaise sauce, which could lead to bacteria growth.

Boxes of butter were also kept out on the counter instead of being in the fridge and cakes were on display uncovered which, according to health officers, could have led to contamination.

Mr Brammer, who also runs the Bear & The Bean in Cowley Road, praised the council's hygiene system and backed calls to make displaying hygiene ratings compulsory.

He said: "The hygiene system works very well at the extremes.

"It picks up on the extremely dirty and the extremely clean, but in the middle it becomes a bit shaky as to what areas the council decides to put more weight to.

"That may be easy for me to say with a five-star rating but businesses should be made to display their ratings. It's not something people look up and if it's not hygienic they ought to know before eating there."