Siam Smile is a Thai Kitchen in the Antrobus Arms Hotel on Church Street, Amesbury. At the end of November, it received a low food hygiene rating of two from the Food Standards Agency.
Sarah Grubb, the Environment Health Officer of Wiltshire Council, visited the Antrobus Hotel and saw that the main issue with food hygiene was the kitchen building and its deteriorated structure. She said that she could only give two stars for food hygiene.
However, Siam Smile shares the kitchen with the hotel (for their breakfast and Sunday roasts), which complicates the issue.
READ MORE: Salisbury named cheapest night out for New Years Eve
The Food Standards Agency website stated that the Antrobus Hotel showed as exempt from a food hygiene rating despite serving breakfast and Sunday roast.
Siam Smile Thai Kitchen in the Antrobus Arms Hotel, Amesbury (Image: Google Maps)
Owner of Siam Smile, Joy Billman noticed this mistake and contacted the council. It has since been rectified and the Antrobus Hotel now has the same rating as the restaurant.
Joy said: “With Siam Smile receiving a 2-star rating and the Hotel showing as exempt, it could have been perceived that the low rating was due to Siam Smile having a poor hygiene level in a good kitchen building.
“Whereas actually we were given a good rating for hygiene and it is the building that is not good enough.”
Siam Smile Thai Kitchen is leaving The Antrobus Hotel in January. The owners of the Hotel are aware of the issues with the kitchen and have said they will make improvements after they leave.
Joy continued: “Food hygiene is very important to me – my other business, Siam Smile Streetfood Café, at 35 High Street Amesbury gained an initial 4 Star Hygiene certificate earlier this year and we are working towards gaining a 5 Star certificate in early 2025.”
The Antrobus Arms Hotel was contacted for details on its ‘deteriorated structure’, but it declined to comment.