A Middlesbrough restaurant that describes itself as offering “luxury North East dining” has been given a zero food hygiene rating, with managers insisting they have since addressed all the issues raised by inspectors.
Bazaar Restaurant, in Captain Cook Square, received the lowest possible rating following a Food Standards Agency (FSA) inspection on 5 May. Inspectors said the business needed to improve its hygienic food handling, while the management of food safety and the cleanliness and condition of the premises both required “major improvement”.
The restaurant, listed as Bazaar Foodhall Limited on the FSA website, opened two years ago and was promoted as the “Charlie and The Chocolate Factory for grown ups”.
At the time, owners highlighted its indoor Italian copper pizza oven, claiming it was the largest in Europe, and said they hoped to achieve a Michelin star. The venue offers an à la carte menu, Sunday lunches, tapas, children’s meals, bottomless brunches and graduation dining, with its Instagram page describing it as “luxury North East dining”.
A spokesperson for Bazaar said the business was “deeply disappointed” by the inspection outcome. They said: “Following that visit, we took the immediate and voluntary decision to close our premises to address all identified issues thoroughly and without compromise. Since then, we have worked very closely with environmental health officers, completely overhauling our hygiene protocols and making significant investments in both our facilities and staff training.”
The spokesperson added that environmental health officers have since re-inspected the restaurant and confirmed that all required improvements had been completed.
They said: “We are now open as normal, operating to the highest standards, and have already submitted a formal application for an expedited food hygiene re-rating inspection to reflect these improved standards, which we look forward to sharing with our customers soon.”
