REVEALED: The food businesses with zero hygiene ratings

The premises include pubs, restaurants, takeaways and cafes.

One of the businesses, Dil Passand in Duckworth Lane, had a zero rating last year and retains one today.

The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme is run by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in partnership with local authorities.

As of yesterday, there are 11 businesses under Bradford Council's jurisdiction with a zero rating.

They are:

• Amaan Foods in Leeds Old Road, Bradford;
• Awami Foods in Smiddles Lane, Bradford;
• Berries Bagel & Shakes in Killinghall Road, Bradford;
• Dil Passand, Duckworth Lane, Bradford;
• Fliirt in the Kirkgate Centre, Bradford,;
• Hookahs in Hey Street, Bradford;
• Krispy Kod in Great Horton Road, Bradford;
• New Abaseen in Leeds Road, Bradford;
• One and 1 in Leeds Road, Shipley;
• Regal Catering in Whetley Hill, Bradford;
• The Old Bank in Market Street, Bradford.

Mohammed Hussain, manager at Dil Passand, said “plenty of improvements” had been made since the inspectors had visited. He admitted previously employing staff during a busy period who did not have food hygiene certificates. He has since installed a sink and paper towels in a food preparation room which was only used at busy times and he no longer employs people who are not qualified in food safety. Mr Hussain said a repeat inspection was taking place in the next week.

Azar Younis, of Krispy Kod, said his shop had undergone a refurbishment costing more than £20,000 since the inspectors visited on June 3.

He said: "We were closing for a refurbishment in Ramadan. The guys went a bit slack thinking we are going to be off for six weeks. We were closing two days after the inspectors came."

Mr Younis said the reasons for Krispy Kod's zero rating were a damaged worktop, a faulty light in a cold room, and a leaking freezer.

He said: "We have had a massive refurbishment which cost more than £20,000. It is a completely different place.

"You would see this place now and think how can this place have a zero rating. It looks fantastic.

"There's been a change of management, new staff, including an ex-Pizza Hut manager, and new training."

New Abaseen received a zero rating after an inspection on January 6 this year. Owner Ali Nasim said it was the first inspection, and added: "Now everything is all right. When they come back everything will be all right."

Hamid Bavaghar, owner of One and 1, Shipley, said issues raised by inspectors had been sorted out and he was confident everything was now up-to-date.

He wants inspectors to revisit and provide a fresh rating.

Problems he has resolved included failing to take temperature readings and having a counter made from plain wood. He also now uses plastic containers rather than tins. Mr Bavaghar said he was confident in the food and overall hygiene.

Asjad Saddiq, of grocery shop Awami Foods, said paperwork relating to fridge temperature readings had previously not been in order, adding: “Everything else was up to date. I have all the paperwork up to date now.

“We are running a decent establishment. We have been here 16 years – that tells you a story. We are very busy and have 10-11 people working for us.”

Zubair Hussain, of Berries Bagels & Shakes in Killinghall Road, said he was “very disappointed” with the zero rating as his kitchen was “immaculate”.

When the inspector visited, the business had only been open for about four months, he said. Mr Hussain said minor faults had been found, such as a missing sticker on a sink, tiling which did not cover an entire wall and fizzy drinks placed on the floor rather than on a pallet.

He said the zero rating had nothing to do with the food.

“When we were told (about the issues), 80 per cent of things were rectified within the hour. The inspector came back three days later and said it was ‘spot on’. Since the visit staff have been on a food hygiene course.”

He urged customers who might be concerned to visit the kitchen and speak to him in person. His own background is in property development, he said. “This is my first food venture. It’s a steep learning curve.”

A spokesman for the Old Bank, Market Street, Bradford city centre, said the pub was waiting for a re-visit from inspectors and anticipated a five-star rating. It was inspected on April 24 this year.

"It was some minor things in the kitchen," said the spokesman. "We had just opened. They said we needed an extra sink, that there were no signs on the wall saying what colour chopping board to use for what meat, and that the dry store area was too cramped.

"She said apply for a re-visit because you will certainly get five. We are waiting for someone to come back."

Harry's Carvery in Whitehall Road, Wyke, received its zero rating after an inspection on February 18. It is in Kirklees Council's jurisdiction.

Chef Mark Hughes said the zero rating was a result of a hole in some flooring in the kitchen, which had now been rectified.

"You don't get re-marked until the next inspection, but that could be one to six months," said Mr Hughes. "We are stuck on zero until the next inspection."

He added: "We have been here for five years now and it is the first time we have had an issue. We anticipate on our re-inspection we will easily go back to four or five stars.

Four businesses come under Calderdale Council's responsibility.

They are:

• Bailiff Bridge Pizza Corner, Bradford Road, Brighouse;
• Curry Chef, Highfield Road, Rastrick;
• Golden Bamboo, Church Street, Rastrick;
• Shelf Balti House, Carr House Road, Shelf.

Shelf Balti House's manager, who did not want to be named, said: "The inspection was in January. It was in a different condition then. We are new people. The last people that did have it, it was not in the right state.

"We are going to ring the health inspection people to get them back in. We have updated. Everything is normal and how it is supposed to be."

A spokesman for Golden Bamboo takeaway, Rastrick, said the shop would shortly be closing for three weeks for the installation of a new kitchen. He said there was “nothing wrong with the food” but the owner could not speak English and had failed to answer the questions posed by inspectors. He said the takeaway had been open about eight years.

Rice Restaurant in High Street, Yeadon, was inspected by Leeds Council on June 15. A member of staff said: "We have got a better food book in the premises. There were a few things we have been told to do and we have done that. Hopefully, fingers crossed, when they come back in we will get at least three stars."

A spokesman for Bishmallah in Pudsey, which also received a zero rating from Leeds Council, said improvements had been made but declined to say what these were. He would not say how long the business had been operating.

Bradford councillors stressed the importance of the hygiene ratings system.

Councillor Ralph Berry, the executive member for health, said: "The point of the system is to highlight the organisations that need to improve their food hygiene, and make that very public.

"It is important to work with them to make sure they deliver safe and healthy food. The Council has a vital duty to act on behalf of the public to carry out these checks without fear or favour. We also need to make sure training and courses are available."

Councillor Mike Gibbons, Conservative spokesman for health on the Council, said: "It is extremely important that food hygiene is taken seriously in all catering situations, when dealing with the general public.

"There is an expectation when people look to outside caterers or visit restaurants and cafes. You hope the standard you probably keep at home is at least achieved when you dine out.

"Any failure to offer that as part of general service is a failure. It lets down the public and, ultimately, the business."

Councillor Arshad Hussain, executive member for neighbourhoods and community safety said: "The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme does make it incredibly easy for people to choose places with good hygiene standards and 90 per cent of food businesses in our district have a Food Hygiene rating of three or over.

"We always try to work with food businesses to help them improve standards; however, we will take action through the courts where there are clear breaches of the law and poor food hygiene."

No-one at the remaining businesses was able to comment when contacted by the T&A.

• The owner of Regal Sweets and Snacks, which is based at the Regal Complex, Whetley Hill, Bradford, has asked us to point out that his business has no links to Regal Catering, which has the same address and was given a zero rating in the Food Standards Agency’s food hygiene ratings. The Telegraph & Argus picture of Regal Catering incorrectly featured Regal Sweets and Snacks. Regal Sweets and Snacks was visited by inspectors on June 10 this year and received a three-star rating.

SCHEME RATES FOOD OUTLETS’ STANDARDS 

THE Food Hygiene Rating Scheme helps people choose where to eat out or shop for food by showing how seriously the business takes their food hygiene standards.

The scheme is run by local authorities in England, Northern Ireland and Wales and applies to restaurants, pubs, cafes, takeaways, hotels, supermarkets and other food shops.

Each business is given their hygiene rating when it is inspected by a food safety officer.

The food safety officer inspecting the business checks how well the business is meeting the law by looking at how hygienically the food is handled, how it is prepared, cooked, re-heated, cooled and stored; the condition of the structure of the buildings, the cleanliness, layout, lighting, ventilation and other facilities; and how the business manages and records what it does to make sure food is safe.
At the end of the inspection, the business is rated from zero to five.

People can check the rating of a food outlet by looking for the green and black sticker in the window, or at food.gov.uk/ratings.