Melton pizza restaurant transforms hygiene rating after relaunch

Fireaway Designer Pizza, of Burton Street, was given the lowest possible ranking of one by environmental inspectors from the borough council last September. It denoted that ‘major improvement’ was required to bring it up to acceptable standards for diners.

It prompted the owners to undertake a major overhaul of the eaterie with a new team of workers making and serving pizzas and a stringent new way of cleaning and operating in the kitchen and eating areas.

The result was that inspectors returned to give the restaurant a four-star hygiene rating, one below the highest possible status.

Manager, Leigh Wicks, who was brought in to oversee the changes, told the Melton Times: “We basically changed everything.

"I could see some of the problems when I came for interview and we had to do something drastic to change the one-star rating.

"There was no cleaning schedule or system in place so we put one in place and we got rid of most of the staff.”

Leigh has worked in the food service industry for 26 years, including restaurant chains such as Yo! Sushi and Revolution, and his experience was important in guiding his new young team.

There are now 10 staff members, made up of two full-timers and the rest being part-time employees.

They have plans to serve pizzas from a stall on Tuesday market days in Melton town centre.

Leigh added: “There are a lot of pizza restaurants in Melton so competition is tough. We are very pleased that we now have this improved rating and business is good.”