A CHICKEN shop has scored a top food hygiene rating after a new owner transformed it from a three star food hygiene rating.

Ali Rameez, 32 has been the owner of Chicken Cottage on Cowley Road in Oxford since November 2019.

When he first bought the store it only had a food hygiene rating of three stars, however, after lots of hard work Mr Rameez managed to transform the chicken shop.

The takeaway on 107 Cowley Road was visited by food hygiene inspectors from the council on August 5.

Chicken Cottage was given a rating of 'very good' for the category food hygiene and safety and scored 'good' for the categories structural compliance and confidence in management.

Mr Rameez put the success of the chicken shop down to his hard work, He explained he put in a lot of effort and money into getting the shop up and running. He invested in new equipment and even installed a self cleaning oven.

He said: "I have worked very hard to transform the business."

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Mr Rameez added: "There is nothing in that shop that is old, everything from the floors, kitchen, sink to the taps is new."

The owner refitted signs outside and the seating area transforming the look of the shop.

He also put the effort in to get the top hygiene rating by hiring Abingdon pest control to visit the shop. He said: "We didn't have any problem around pest control, but it reassures the inspectors that we are on top of it."

For Chicken Cottage business is on the rise, Mr Rameez said he does between 60 and 70 deliveries a day. The takeaway is on Just Eat, Deliveroo and Uber Eats and has already accumulated more than 1,300 reviews on Just Eat with an average customer rating of five stars out of six.

Oxford Mail: Staff at Chicken Cottage, Mudassar Ali and Basit Khan.

Mr Rameez said they stayed busy throughout lockdown with deliveries, but he is pleased to be back talking to customers.

He said: "It was absolutely heaving during lockdown. That footfall from customers and students went all to delivery over lockdown. But I prefer interacting with customers and having conversations."

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He added: "I went on a journey of picking up a store which was completely at its lowest level with a three star rating and I put the investment into it and worked with the council."

Now he has transformed the Cowley shop, the chicken shop owner wants to open more franchises in Oxfordshire towns and expand his business.

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