South Leeds pizza bar owner fined for failure to follow food hygiene standards

The owner of a pizza takeaway in Hunslet has been fined over £4,800 after admitting a range of food hygiene offences.

This follows an inspection by Leeds City Council’s Environmental Health Team of Sky Pizza Bar on Dewsbury Road in Hunslet, owned by Mr Ansar Ali. During the inspection, five contraventions of food safety were found. These included; failure to protect food from possible contamination; a lack of adequate hand washing facilities; failure to keep the premises and equipment clean; failure to use written food safety procedures to ensure food is produced safely.

In pleading guilty to the charges at Leeds Magistrates Court, Mr Ali was fined in total, £4812.40. This comprised of a £3000 fine, costs of £1642.40 and a victim surcharge of £170.

Councillor Lucinda Yeadon, Leeds City Council’s executive member for environment and sustainability, said:

“It is absolutely vital that owners of restaurant, takeaways and all food premises in Leeds ensure that they are complying fully with food safety legislation. A failure to do so could potentially result in terrible consequences for the general public, which is why we will always take action against any owners that are not abiding by the appropriate food safety laws such as in this case.”

Leeds City Council regulates all food businesses in Leeds and environmental health officers regularly inspect restaurants, takeaways and shops to ensure they comply with strict food safety legislation.

The outcome of these inspections is a rating based on the Food Standard Agency’s national food hygiene rating scheme.

You can check ratings at http://ratings.food.gov.uk/.

Businesses can contact the food safety team at Leeds City Council for advice and residents can report any concerns on 0113 378 5900 or food.safety@leeds.gov.uk.