THE Almonry Restaurant and Tea Rooms in Ely are flushed with success, with a 5-star rating for their loos putting them in line for an award.

THE Almonry Restaurant and Tea Rooms in Ely are flushed with success as a five-star rating for their toilets has put them in line for an award.

After receiving the top billing for their wash rooms, the restaurant could now find themselves honoured in the 2011 Loo of the Year Awards, the prestigious and glitzy annual event hosted by the British Toilet Association.

The High Street restaurant has been managed by Lesley and Michael Blakey for the past 20 years.

Lesley told the Ely Standard: “This is the first time we have entered the competition and we are thrilled to get a five-star grading in the hospitality category.

“I would like to pay tribute to our cleaner Bill for the great job he does, consistently maintaining the toilets and the whole establishment to such a high standard. The BTA grading was a just reward for his efforts.”

Bill, who has been cleaning at the Almonry for eight years, joked: “I am the lavatorial gladiator and the spiritual guardian of the porcelain statues.

He added: “The management have been tremendously innovative, with fresh flowers in the loos, and always encouraging the staff to do a good job.

“I take great pride in my work; some peoole would think that this is a mundane job, but I take a personal pride in it.”

The Loo of the Year Presentation Ceremony will be held in Birmingham on Friday 2nd December when certificates and National Awards will be announced and presented. All five-star winners are in the running for a selection of National Awards to be announced on that day.