A COWLEY Road bakery and cafe with brilliant reviews has scored a five-star hygiene rating turning it around from just two stars in 2019. Za’atar Bake on Cowley Road is an Arabic bakery and at its most recent hygiene inspection on December 3, 2020, it was awarded a rating of five (Very Good) by Oxford City Council. Previously in January 2019 the cafe was criticised by hygiene inspectors for poor staff knowledge, pizza topping temperatures and the risk to customers of making dough on plywood. However, cafe owner Mahmoud Al-Hadad believes the council acted unfairly as he had previously asked for help. He said: “I called the council and I told them I needed someone to come and give me guidance, education and training and they said they would get back to me. Two weeks down the line someone came to inspect us.”
He added: It s something I d love to do again next year. As well as food, there was also live music outside by a variety of musicians during the day to spread some Christmas cheer. A message from the cafe thanked staff and volunteers for their hard work, with a special thank you to the mayor. It added: It was an amazing day with loads of love and great music performed by local artists. “God bless and wishing you all the best for 2021.” Mr Lygo tweeted it was a privilege to join the cafe on Christmas Day, adding: A fantastic local Oxford business and a wonderful initiative that truly captures the festive spirit.
Arabic bakery Za atar are set to host the socially-distanced festive celebration between 1pm and 4pm. Owner Mahmoud Al-Hadad said he and business partner Ahmad Mohamad, who will be cooking the seasonal spread, wanted to ensure everyone had somewhere to go on December 25, especially as more people would be forgoing seeing loved ones due to the pandemic. He said: This year is going to be very different to normal. A lot of people are struggling right now, even if they do have a job Oxford is such an expensive city to live in. It doesn t matter if you are homeless, have mental health problems or just don t want to be alone, everyone is welcome.