Spice Lounge Bishop Auckland gets zero food hygiene rating

Inspectors landed at Spice Lounge on Fore Bondgate on October 14 and told it must make ‘major improvement’ to cleanliness and food handling and ‘urgent improvement’ to its food safety management.

A further inspection is expected to be carried out in the coming weeks.

Owner of the Indian takeaway Saiful Islam, 58, said: “We are disappointed by the inspection, but we are confident we will get up to a four-star rating in a re-inspection.

“We have had a redecoration and that coincided with the inspection.”

Opened in 2008, Spice Lounge has more than 200 ‘excellent’ reviews on Trip Advisor, and was nominated in the Northern Echo’s Best Curryhouse 2024,

The takeaway said at the time: “We do have some fantastic customers we regard as our friends – some are like family. It has been hard going but rewarding at the same time.”

The inspection looked at preparation, cooking, re-heating, cooling and storage of food as well as condition of the building and whether there are checks in place to ensure that food sold or served is safe to eat.

The Echo has requested the full FSA hygiene report from Durham County Council.