THE co-owner of a beloved Colchester restaurant has described winning a prestigious food prize as a "nice little surprise".

North Hill Noodle Bar was recently announced as a winner of a Blue Ribbon at this year's Good Food Awards. 

The national awards recognise the best teams in the culinary field and the establishments with the highest customer ratings are bestowed the prestigious Blue Ribbon.

Speaking about the recognition, Christopher Andrews, co-owner of North Hill Noodle Bar, said the win was testament to the hard work of its top workers and its dedication to customers. 

He said: “It was a great surprise for us, we’ve been here a long time and value our loyal customer base and always look for ways to improve food quality and service. 

“This is a nice little surprise based on that. 

“Ultimately, we’ve got a great team here, everyone works very hard to ensure we give the best possible customer experience. It’s nice for that to be reflected in some sort of award.”

The win comes after the restaurant reopened following a refurbishment and expansion project, which has established extra space for 38 more diners than the site could accommodate previously.