'I want the people to come back': Shrewsbury takeaway boss' plea after hygiene improvement

Flaming Great in Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury, received a zero rating in November 2022, with a safety officer's report saying the takeaway must make major improvements in the hygienic handling of food including preparation, cooking, re-heating, cooling and storage

But, after six weeks and £5,500 worth of improvements to stop flooding in the cellar, the takeaway has got its score up to four out of five, a rating considered "good" by the Food Standards Agency.

In the shop's latest inspection, which took place on January 4 this year, the food safety officer found the hygienic handling of food including preparation, cooking, re-heating, cooling and storage to be "very good".

Cleanliness and condition of the facilities and building was deemed "generally satisfactory", as was the management of food safety, including whether the correct systems and checks were in place and evidence that the staff have the required knowledge.

Flaming Great owner Yucel Ozturk said business has taken a battering since the low rating was made public, but hopes the new score will restore confidence.

"I want the people to come back," he said. "We are back up to a four, we have always been a four. You can see it is clean and safe.

"There was a flooding problem, it was nothing to do with the food," he insisted. "I was away (when the "zero" inspection took place). One of my managers was there and he could not explain it. We were asked to do a couple of things, which we did straight away, and after she (the inspector) put a zero.

"15 years I have been doing this business. I love to cook for people. We were doing really well but now about 70 per cent of my customers have gone. It has affected me very bad."

Mr Ozturk said he employs 20 people in his takeaways. "We have English people, Polish, Bulgarian, Romanian. We are giving jobs to the town."

He added: "I am working very hard to give my best to Shrewsbury town. I want to grow in this town."

Mr Ozturk, who is originally from Turkey but moved to Shropshire in 2009, has another Flaming Great takeaway in Ditherington Road. He said: "It's very busy. Customers love it."

At its previous four inspections in 2021, 2018, 2017 and 2016 the takeaway was handed a rating of four out of five. Flaming Great is open every day from 3pm to 3am.