A RADCLIFFE food company has won an award for its standards of hygiene and production.

Martins Foods, a sister company of Martins Bakery, has gained the British Retail Consortium/European Food Safety Inspection Service certificate at the higher level.

The award, recognised throughout Europe, guarantees hygiene and food production standards.

The company supplies frozen, hand-finished bakery products, including desserts and cream cakes, to several major retailers and coffee shops in the UK.

Managing Director Neil Martin said the accreditation was the culmination of a lot of hard work since the takeover of C&D Continental Patisserie two years ago.

He added: "The considerable effort which has gone into improving the factory layout and our quality management systems has really paid off."