TWO Bishop's Stortford businesses have picked up all three honours from the Environmental Health Awards for the second year running.

Morelli's Cappucino Bar, Jackson Square, and Busy Bees Nursery at the Thorley Centre, received the Heartbeat, Food Hygiene and Health and Safety awards at a ceremony held by East Herts Council.

They are among only five businesses in the district to achieve all three awards this year.

East Herts Council's community safety executive member Nicola Burdett, who presented the certificates, said: "It requires considerable commitment to achieve consistently the high standards required.

"Some of these establishments are the largest employers of staff in the area; some are servicing our most vulnerable groups children and the elderly; all are contributing to providing healthy choices being served to regular customers here in East Herts.

"Caterers are in a unique position to be able to influence the health of the population by providing exemplary standards of hygiene in their kitchen, smoke-free eating areas and healthy choices on their menus."

The Heartbeat Award is a nationally recognised symbol endorsed by the Department for Health and shows that caterers are actively promoting healthy choices.

Businesses also have to meet certain standards on an inspection to qualify for the food safety award and face inspections on risk assessments and staff training to quality for the health and safety award.

The council presented 23 businesses with certificates for the food hygiene award, seven with a health and safety award and 25 with a Heartbeat award.