“Mouldy pizza bases” were found in a “filthy and mouldy” Leeds pizza parlour which was given a one-star food hygiene rating.
The inspector gave Moji’s Pizzeria in Wetherby the second-lowest rating possible before instant closure. A one-star rating means major improvements are necessary.
But the owner Medi Neshat, who’s owned the takeaway on Castle Gate for 29 years, has hit back at the inspector who was working on behalf of Leeds City Council. He’s said the damning rating was “nothing to do with hygiene,” blaming the rating on lack of paperwork which was due to him suffering a serious accident.
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The inspector was particularly concerned about Moji's cold room after visiting the premises on May 3. They wrote: “The inside of the cold room is filthy and mouldy. Clean the door, floor, walls and ceiling.”
They added: “Ensure effective stock control. Mouldy pizza bases were stored in the cold room.”
They also found “filthy dough trays” and told Medi to perform a deep clean on the establishment as there were “greasy dusty surfaces” in multiple areas. The kitchen ceiling, cooking canopies, cold room and side prep room were highlighted. They were also told to clean “dirty” hand contact points and to replace the “rusty shelving”.
The staff’s hygiene knowledge was also described as “poor”. They were told to wear clean protective clothing and to not wash their hands in the equipment sink. Medi was also told to put the staff through training.
The inspector was also disappointed to find there was no written food safety management system in place. They said there had been “sufficient progress” on their feedback after revisiting on May 10, however.
'Not mouldy at all,' says owner
Medi has denied there was any mould in the venue or pizza bases. He said: “I don’t think there was mouldy pizza bases. The tray we used was plastic and it was not mouldy at all. I am not saying he [the inspector] is lying but it wasn’t mouldy.”
Medi has assured customers that all necessary improvements have been made, and claims the inspector said he would get a four rating if he paid for a reinspection. The pizzeria boss explained he wasn’t able to keep on top of Moji’s upkeep due to suffering a serious accident.
The restaurant owner, who’s originally from Iran, said a car reversed on him in February, “crushing” the bones in his ankles. He claims he couldn’t access the shop for four months and is still limping.
Medi said: “I’ve been in this business for 29 years and I’ve always been in control. Everyone who knows me, knows how I am concerned about the hygiene and all that. I was at home for four months because of my accident.
“I had a terrible accident and I was in hospital for 11 days and then I couldn’t come to the shop at all. The staff are obviously not going to do anything when I am not here.
“I wasn’t here and I hadn’t been here for three months as the accident was really bad. There was a car outside my house. He asked if I could help to push him forward, I said ‘yes, I would’ – stupid me – and then he reversed on me. It was a really really bad accident so I couldn’t move for about three months.
“My bones were crushed on my ankles. There was lots of pins and screws and everything in there. They say it takes about two years to fully recover. That’s what happens when you help someone!”
Medi has said that he hasn’t put his staff through training yet, declaring that he’s working with a “skeleton crew”. He’s even considering closing Moji’s down for a couple of days each week as he “can’t find the staff” willing to travel all the way to work in Wetherby.
He’s said he hired an independent company to perform a deep clean on the venue and the rusty shelving has been changed. He was puzzled by the inspector’s request for food handlers to wear protective clothing. “We wear gloves,” he said and added that staff are not using the equipment sink to wash their hands.
A Leeds City Council spokesperson said: “All food businesses in Leeds are regularly inspected by Environmental Health Officers on a risk-basis to check their compliance with legislation all food businesses must follow and which are designed to protect food safety and public health. To protect public health it is vital that food businesses are kept clean, in good repair, have all the necessary facilities, and have effective food management practices in place.
“Following the inspection, a food business operator is able to appeal the Food Hygiene Scheme Rating score within 21 days of the inspection if they think it is unfair or request a revisit by an officer to reassess the premises subject to paying a fee when they have rectified all the legal matters identified in the report.”
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