THE Green Cafe in Ludlow has joined a very exclusive club.

It has been awarded a Bib Gourmand which is the cafe equivalent of a Michelin Star.

There are fewer than 200 cafes and small restaurants in the country holding the symbol that is awarded for a year and represents good quality food at a reasonable price.

The criteria set by the inspectors are that the full meal without wine must be less than £28.

Providing top quality food in a cafe environment is what Clive Davis has been doing since he took over the Green Cafe when it opened six years ago.

Clive, aged 45, likes to let his food do his talking for him but does admit to being proud of the accolade that is as good as it gets for cafes and smaller restaurants.

He trained in Hereford and worked in London before deciding to return move to Ludlow in 2009 and is a ‘slow food’ accredited chef.

The Bib (Bibendum) is the nickname for the iconic Michelin Man which features on the front of every guide. Up to 12 people, full and part-time, work at The Green Cafe at the height of the summer season.

A full range of options is available; table service indoors and on the patio for coffee and cakes, or anything up to a three-course meal.

There is also a take-away hatch if customers would prefer hot or cold drinks and ice creams on the Millennium Green.

The menu at the Green Cafe changes daily, reflecting seasonal produce, which is sourced locally where possible.

A high proportion of ingredients are organic and the majority of products are made on the premises. The Green Cafe is licensed and sells a range of bottled local ales and ciders, and wines supplied by local suppliers wines unfurled.

It is closed on Mondays and opens for the remainder of the week from 10am until 3pm.

“People have got to know about us and so we can be very busy which means that it is a good idea for people to book in advance,” said Mr Davis.

The Green Cafe is open for most of the year but closes its door on Christmas Eve and re-opens for Valentine’s Day in mid February.

A Bib Gourmand award for the Green Cafe is the latest in a string of accolades for the town that has helped to cement Ludlow’s place as a major centre for the best in food and drink.

Just a few yards from the Cafe is ‘Mr Underhill’s’ the town Michelin Star restaurant. The former Le Becasse in Ludlow was at one time also a Michelin Star restaurant when Will Holland was the chef.

Henry Mackley who writes a periodic food column for ‘the Advertiser’ and run the Harp Lane deli in Ludlow town centre, described the Bib Gourmond as a tremendous achievement and the highest accolade for cafes and restaurants that do not qualify for Michelin Star accreditation.

The announcement of the award for the Green Cafe comes just two weeks after the highly successful 21st Ludlow Food Festival.

Philip Dunne MP added his congratulations.

"This is really good news for all involved in making the Green Cafe the success it is," he said. "It is also really good news for building Ludlow's reputation for great food.?"

The Bib Gourmand recognises both quality and value of food, and is awarded only to restaurants serving three courses for under £28.

A total of 25 new Bibs were awarded, 18 in England – including five in London – five in Ireland and two in Northern Ireland.

This award complements the Michelin Star awarded once again to Mr Underhill's, also overlooking the river Teme in Ludlow.