Rochdale’s ‘curry mile’ food hygiene ratings

Milkstone Road in Rochdale may have become synonymous with Indian food, it also boasts a host of fish and chip shops, kebab houses and fried chicken joints to tempt the peckish punter.

There’s no lack of choice for those with a hankering for a fast-food fix – including those who step off a train at the nearby station after a big night out.

How clean, hygienic and safe are the 20 outlets registered as a takeaway/sandwich shop with the Food Standards Agency?

Well, on the whole it’s good news for those who are partial to the fare Milkstone Road has to offer.

Food safety inspectors from the council award outlets a hygiene score ranging from 0 to 5, depending on what they find at their premises.

They look at three main factors when they visit restaurants – how hygienically the food is handled, the physical condition of the business, and how the business manages ways of keeping food safe.

Of the 20 takeaways, eight scored the maximum five, a further five were given a rating of four, and five outlets scored three.

One outlet – Paris Street Food –  is yet to be rated.

However, at the bottom of the pile was Abaseen, which was given a rating of just one after inspectors visited in July – which means a ‘major improvement is required’.

Officials found that food hygiene awareness amongst staff was ‘inadequate’ and they should be given further instruction or supervision ‘bearing in mind the type of work which they do’.

‘High risk foods’ – which support the growth of food poisoning or bacteria’ – were also being kept at too high a temperature, while the handwash basin in the kitchen was damaged.

The takeaway has been told it must a provide basin in the kitchen area that ‘all staff should understand is for hand-washing only’.

 It was also instructed to clean the microwave and refrigerator in the kitchen as well as the wall of the room.

Ahmed Khan, manager of Abaseen, says that the outlet has now addressed all the issues raised by food hygiene officers, and hopes to be reinspected soon.

“The health people came in and showed us what to do, we have done everything they asked for,” he said.

“Our food is clean, we make fresh food – we don’t make anything from leftovers, nothing is cooked before, it is all cooked fresh in front of them. The food is nice – it’s clean and it’s fresh.”

Below is the full rundown of food hygiene ratings for takeaways on Milkstone Road.

FIVE STARS (Very good)

• A1 Fish and Chips – Last inspected July 2019
• Ali’s Cod and Chips – Last inspected June 2018
• Chicking Feast –  Last inspected November 2017
• Chunky Chicken –  Last inspected July 2018
• Cuckoos – Last inspected November 2018
• International Fish and Chips – Last inspected March 2018
• Milky Way – Last inspected  September 2016
• Punjab Takeaway – Last inspected March 2018

FOUR STARS (Good)

• Al Qudds – Last inspected August 2018
• Istanblue  – Last inspected December 2017
• Kebab House – Last inspected January 2018
• Moroccan Shawarma – Last inspected December 2018
• New Orlando Fried Chicken – Last inspected August 2018

THREE STARS (satisfactory)

• Kabana Takeaway – Last inspected July 2019
• Kamran Sweet Centre – Last inspected July 2019
• Machakos Grill  – Last inspected August 2018
• Naz –   Last inspected November 2018
• Rajas  – Last inspected February 2019

ONE STAR (Major improvement necessary)

• Abaseen – Last inspected July 2019

NOT YET RATED

• Paris Street Food

Councillor Sara Rowbotham, Rochdale council’s cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said food hygiene officers did an essential job.

“Residents rely on food hygiene ratings to give them confidence when choosing where to buy their food and we have an excellent team of officers working to improve standards across the borough every day”, she said.

“We are pleased that 92 per cent of our 1,593 food businesses are compliant with food hygiene requirements but there is still work to do.

“We strongly encourage businesses to attend our upcoming Gain Or Retain training so all businesses are striving for a level 5 rating.”

“Rochdale council is holding training for businesses on how to achieve a level 5 food hygiene rating in October.

“Those interested should search ‘gain or retain’ on eventbrite to book on to the training at Number One Riverside.”

Nick Statham, Local Democracy Reporter