A SUMMERTOWN Italian restaurant has celebrated its 35th anniversary in style by renewing its five-star hygiene rating and scooping up a national award for its pizza.

Mamma Mia achieved the highest possible score in every category when inspectors visited earlier this year and capped off their anniversary year by winning Independent Pizza Restaurant of the Year at the Pizza, Pasta and Italian Food Association Awards.

Restaurant owner Jon Ellse said it was a good way to end a year in which the restaurant has held a number of celebratory events.

He said: "We work hard to make sure we always have five stars and I think the system works well.

"It helps to instil confidence with our customers and it's very important for them to know.

"It's more about kitchen management and making sure each member of staff is doing right thing and that's fundamental to the way we work."

Mr Ellse also said calls from Oxford City Council to make it compulsory for restaurants to display their rating in the window was a "good idea" but warned that in some cases businesses that have recently changed hands could be left stuck with a bad rating for twelve months.

The Oxford man, who also owns The Perch Inn in Binsey and Portabello Restaurant and Bar in Summertown took the over the restaurant 17 years ago from an Italian family.

Since then it has become renowned locally - with a second Mamma Mia restaurant opening in Jericho in 2009 - and earlier this year staff wanted to pit themselves against the best pizza restaurants nationally.

He said: "We entered the PAPA Awards as a test to see how we stacked up against national competition - and we were just delighted to be nominated

"But to actually win and be judged as the UK’s ‘Best Independent Pizza Restaurant’ is hugely rewarding.

"This award is very much for the whole Mamma Mia team, it's a fantastic accolade that caps our 35th Anniversary year."

The PAPA judges felt that the Summertown restaurant's pizza delivered on all levels and offered "a truly great pizza experience."

In August environmental health officers from Oxford City Council visited the restaurant to carry out a routine inspection.

Inspectors scored the venue Very Good when it came to Food Hygiene and Safety and Structural Compliance - the highest available rating - and High with regards to Confidence in Management.