A STOURBRIDGE coffee shop has earned itself a top industry accolade just over a year after opening.

The Coffee Collective in High Street, which opened in August 2013, has been awarded a four out of five cup rating by the Beverage Standards Association.

Described as the "Michelin Stars of the beverage industry” - the awards highlight establishments across the UK which offer top drinks and service and BSA judges evaluate entrants’ espresso based-drinks, teas, filter coffee and hot chocolate as well as customer service and the general ambience of stores.

More than 100 outlets across the country entered this year's awards scheme, which was celebrated at the Midlands Hotel in Manchester, but only 20 achieved a four or five cup accreditation.

The Coffee Collective, which prides itself on its artisan-roasted coffee and collection of teas, was also shortlisted for the national 'best tea award' for its selection of more than 20 different loose leaf teas.

Owner and barista Harriet Foster said: “Unfortunately we missed out on the best tea award but we were still in the final four so we were very happy with that.

"We are really delighted to have this kind of industry recognition. We entered the awards to get some honest feedback from the expert judges at the BSA – part of the attraction was that we knew that the criteria we would be judged on would be extremely tough. It’s a great feeling to know that we stood out among the coffee shops that the judges visited.”