A gourmet restaurant in North Yorkshire has been slapped with a one-star hygiene rating - but its management has said the issue is structural, and urgent repair work is being completed. 

The Crab & Lobster restaurant, located in Asenby, near Thirsk, is well known for its quirky fare and unique setting - in an 18th-century inn. 

But the Food Standards Agency gave the Crab & Lobster a one-star hygiene rating in their most recent inspection, which took place in December last year. 

The cleanliness and condition of facilities and building (including having appropriate layout, ventilation, hand washing facilities and pest control) was rated as "major improvement necessary". 

The restaurant explained that one in three of their kitchens is currently undergoing major repair work after "structural challenges" on the old building. 

The Northern Echo: The Crab & Lobster, in Thirsk.

Speaking to The Northern Echo, manager Matthew Robertson assured their customers that this was the result of subsidence in the kitchen, which is being repaired, and that their food offering "has not been affected".

Inspectors rated food preparation and safety at the Crab & Lobster as satisfactory to good, and the expectation is that the double AA-rosetted restaurant will be related swiftly. 

Matthew said: "The challenge we have had over the past few weeks is subsidence in the kitchen area. 

"We repaired the first subsidence event but then it happened again so we moved our pastry kitchen into our main kitchen and have kept our bookings manageable to enable us to offer the high level of food quality you would expect from us.  

"As luck would have it our inspection occurred whilst we were in the transformation of three kitchens to the two we are currently using resulting in a low score, due to structural and building challenges. 

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"The food preparation and safety actually scored satisfactory to good."

He added: "The good news is that the renovation work is almost complete and the EHO team have been working with us to review the rating as soon as we are ready which we expect to be next week as they are aware that the structural damage report may have adverse publicity on our food offering which has not been affected. 

"The trials and tribulations of operating out of an 18th Century Inn that we still  love even though she gives us challenges from time to time!"