One of Northern Ireland’s most respected restaurants, celebrity chef Paul Rankin’s Cayenne, was awarded a rating of just one under the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme.

A score of zero means "urgent improvement necessary" and the top rating of five indicates a "very good’ standard of food hygiene.

The Belfast Telegraph reports Cayenne celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2010, but in March this year the verdict from food safety officers was that "major improvement" was needed.

Manager Peter McKenna said staff at the restaurant were upset by the low rating, but insisted that the restaurant was perfectly safe and the score had nothing to do with food handling.

A new mark will not be given until at least three months after the last inspection.

Nick Wright, manager of Made In Belfast, said he is waiting for inspectors to return to his restaurant. They visited the city centre restaurant on March 5, 2010 and gave it a rating of one, which indicates the need for "major improvement."

"The only reason we received the score was for structural reasons," Mr Wright said. Zen Restaurant manager Alex Yosh, based in Adelaide Street, said while he appreciates the work done by environmental health officers, he feels the rating system can be "misleading."