THE owner of American-style diner Glut is pleased his restaurant in Oxford has been awarded a four-star food hygiene rating.

But former Cherwell School pupil Sami Mahfouz, who opened the George Street eatery last year, insists he and his staff will not be complacent and added he fully expects Glut to get a five-star rating at the next inspection.

Mr Mahfouz was disappointed last month when city council food hygiene inspectors awarded Glut a low score of two stars.

Oxford Mail:

But all the critical points in the report have now been addressed, said Mr Mahfouz.

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As they handed out the two star score, meaning standards were judged to need improvement, inspectors pointed out a lack of a lack of proper allergen information and concerns over the ‘inadequate and inconsistent’ method for cooking burgers.

Oxford Mail:

After these issues were addressed a reinspection took place earlier this month and the four star Food Standards Agency rating was issued, indicating that food hygiene standards are good.

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Mr Mahfouz said: “We are pleased with the four star rating and are looking forward to the year ahead when we expect to get five stars - we are very focused on cleanliness.”

Shortly after Glut opened in May it rose to the top of Oxford’s TripAdvisor rankings and is still high in the charts.

Oxford Mail:

It is rated 4.5 out of five and is currently ranked #11 out of 432 restaurants in Oxford.

Jake G from Abingdon said following a recent visit: “If you’re deciding whether to come here, get down there!

“I kid you not, best burger I have ever had the pleasure of eating. I’ve never felt so satisfied after eating a burger. It has blown me away. Fantastic!”

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Mr Mahfouz said he was pleased so many customers returned after their first visit, with many of them arriving through word-of-mouth recommendations.

Oxford Mail:

He added: “A guy who works at Buzz Gym in Westgate came in and the next day he came back with all his colleagues - now they come in all the time and every month we are getting busier.”

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Glut has won praise from customers for its plant burgers and dirty plant burgers and they have been selling well through Veganuary, a campaign encouraging people to go vegan for the month.

The plant burgers, costing £9.50, are made with Beyond Meat, a plant-based product imported from the United States made from pea protein. Mr Mahfouz added: “That’s the most expensive item on the menu - all our dishes are priced very competitively.”