Ahmed's kebab van shoots for glory again with five-star hygiene rating

Ahmed’s Bar B-Q, on High Street, has been recognised for its high standard of hygiene after it received a ‘very good’ rating for its food hygiene and safety and structural compliance and 'high' rating for its confidence in management.

The family-run kebab van, owned by 53-year-old Ahmed Semlali, has been serving kebabs to the people of Oxford since 1987.

He said he is happy to be given the rating by Oxford City Council and values cleanliness.

He said: "It's excellent that we have this high rating. I’m very happy. It's very important to me that we keep the van up to a high standard."

Mr Semlali runs the kebab van outside Old Bank Hotel in the evenings with his two sons and son-in-law: Omar, Anas and Mohammed.

Mr Semlali said it is important to keep the van clean at all times.

He said: "It does take a lot of hard work to keep everything clean. Cleaning is very important and you have to keep on top of it otherwise it will get bad.

"We clean every night and my wife helps us out sometimes because there can be so much to do."

The kebab van owner said oil is one of the things that is difficult to clean.

He said: "The most difficult thing is cleaning the grease because it can get everywhere. The grill is also difficult to clean and smoke gets everywhere too which causes soot marks which we have to clean."

Despite the hard work that he spends cleaning and ensuring the van is safe, he said he always makes sure everything is up to scratch and that the staff are fully aware of the responsibilities that they have.

He said: "We never give up on it. My staff are all trained too so they know what to do and how to ensure cooking is safe.

"Everyone has to have hygiene certificates in order to work for me. They receive the necessary training to handle meats and ensure there is no cross contamination when cooking."

Ahmed's Bar B-Q serves a variety of food such as doner kebabs, chicken, chips, fish, falafel and vegetables.

People in Oxford were glad to hear the news that it received the Best Kebab Van of the Year Award back in March.

Students particularly adore his kebabs with one commenting on Facebook that his kebabs got them through their degree.

Our readers said they not only appreciate his food but also the friendly service that comes with it with one reader saying Mr Semlali is a 'truly lovely guy.'