Pizza takeaway in Oxfordshire town under investigation

Patrons Pizza on 100a High Street in Thame picked up a national award in the Best Street Food category at the Food Awards England 2023 last October.

However, it was given the lowest possible rating after an inspection on July 10.

An officer for South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils has confirmed the eatery is under investigation but could not provide further details. 

The officer said: "I can confirm that there is an ongoing investigation relating to this business.

"We cannot provide any more details at this time."

It is understood the business is still open. 

Patrons Pizza has since spoken out about the inspection and says the issue has been 'rectified'. 

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Patrons Pizza in Thame (Image: Google Street View)"I fully acknowledge the concern about hygiene, and I agree that maintaining cleanliness should have been a priority," a spokesperson for the business said.

"Unfortunately, due to the owner being away for a family wedding for an extended period, some staff members did not uphold the expected standards of hygiene.

"This issue has since been rectified, and steps have been taken to ensure that it does not happen again.

"Regular training and stricter supervision are now in place to maintain consistent cleanliness.

The spokesperson said investments have been made to 'emphasise how seriously' the business takes food hygiene.

They said these are a hospital-grade UVC cleaning light, a commercial-grade steam cleaner, online fridge temperature monitoring and a doner machine fitted with Robax glass, which prevents unburned gases from entering the doner meat.

"Our commitment to high standards in food safety is clear through these investments," they continued. 

"We are continuously improving our processes to ensure the highest levels of hygiene, and we welcome any future inspections to see these efforts in action.

"It’s also worth noting that we are the only company in the UK that continues to provide free meals for NHS staff, and we proudly sponsor local teams and charities, further demonstrating our commitment to both community and high standards."

Local football team with pizza from the takeaway (Image: Patrons Pizza) The takeaway was rated according to the following categories: hygienic food handling, cleanliness and condition of facilities and building and management of food safety.

According to the Food Standards Agency website, improvement was found to be 'necessary' on hygienic food handling.

'Major improvement' was found to be necessary on the cleanliness and condition of facilities and building as well as the management of food safety.

The establishment was given a two-out-of-five hygiene rating just last year following an inspection on July 12, 2023.