Last updated at 12:22, Wednesday, 28 November 2012

A CARTMEL coffee shop has been rewarded with an accolade that is the 'Michelin star' of the coffee industry.

Cartmel Coffee picked up the Four Cup National Accreditation in the Beverage Standards Association (BSA) annual Awards – the Michelin stars of the coffee industry

Winning the Four Cup National Accreditation means the coffee shop is “exceptional” in terms of customer service and ambience.

Through these Awards, the BSA  has introduced a UK-wide national grading scheme in beverages from one to five cups, with four meaning “exceptional”.

Paul and Phaedra Settle, who run Cartmel Coffee, received a certificate and special BSA 4 cup decals (two way window stickers) for the Four Cup Accreditation which will be displayed on the doors or windows of the outlet to show the general public that the outlet is “exceptional”.

He said: “I’m over the moon.

"This is a fantastic achievement.”

Ranald Paterson, chairman of the judges, says, “We awarded just 17 outlets nationally a Four Cup grading.

"Each has different features and were judged to exactly the same criteria as the Five Cup winners.

"The reason they achieved Four Cups instead of Five Cups may mean one poor drink out of three judged or failure to promote beverages well on menus, quality of toilets, staff specialist knowledge, size of foam bubbles on cappuccino.

"These were all judged and might have been the difference between the Five Cup and the Four Cup gradings. These are small factors, which on another day or next year could mean the difference between Four and Five Cup grading.

"Every venue judged was a winner in some way.”

First published at 12:18, Wednesday, 28 November 2012
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk