Purton Magazine: June 2007

Maharajah Wins 5-Star Status

We congratulate Purton’s Maharajah Indian restaurant on being awarded the highest 5-Star rating for Food Safety.

The new Food Safety Star Rating Scheme provides the public with information advising you how hygienic catering establishments are. The scheme aims to recognise and improve food hygiene in catering establishments that either serve, prepare or sell food within North Wiltshire, whilst giving the public a more informed choice about where to eat based on food safety.

The Maharajah’s proprietor, Mr Khalique Ali, said, "My staff and I are passionate about the quality of the food that we present to our customers. The quality of the ingredients, of the food preparation and of the service are critical in giving an enjoyable restaurant experience."

Khalique has been invited by NWDC to give presentations as course consultant to councils and other restaurants using the methods and procedures he has developed to show how their standards can be raised.

Inspections are conducted in accordance with the Code of Practice issued by The Food Standards Agency, www.food.gov.uk, which sets out the manner in which the inspections are carried out.

You can see The Maharajah's Star ratings score at www.northwilts.gov.uk/..../scoresonthedoors/..../the_maharajah.htm.


Press Release

For immediate release: Monday, April 12, 1999

The attached release marks yet another milestone in the establishment of the finest quality Tandoori & Balti restaurant in the area.

Already recognised for its excellent cuisine the Maharajah chalks up yet another accolade but from a very interesting source.

Purton is a thriving village in North Wiltshire and an ideal setting for this mounting success story.




When Mr Abdul Khalique Ali opened the Maharajah Restaurant in Purton he had one ambition, to build a widespread reputation for the finest quality food and service. This is now well established and the Maharajah has often received praise from food critics and had many worthy mentions in respected magazines and guides.
These of course are all good indications that the food really is something special and well above the ordinary, but recently an even higher accolade was received from an unusual source.

All premises selling food are legally required to meet strict standards in the control of their kitchens. This extends to proper control over all the foods and raw materials purchased and to meeting the very highest standards in food hygiene. The Environmental Health Officers, whose job in part, is to enforce these standards, visit premises and inspect all aspects of these essential requirements to ensure compliance.

On a recent visit to the Maharajah, the Environmental Health Officer was moved to write a congratulatory letter containing the following comments:

"I write to congratulate you on the very high standard of hygiene and cleanliness noted at your premises during the recent routine food safety inspection.

Would you please pass on my comments to your staff and urge them to continue with their good work.

The paper controls you have in place are an essential and integral part in ensuring food safety and it was a pleasure to find such a comprehensive system.

Once again may I say well done."

Well, high praise indeed, how often is it that a restaurant receives praise from such a professional source. The Environmental Health Officers perform an outstanding and often thankless job in protecting the general public and are regularly required to enforce standards when they find restaurants which simply fail to look after the essential aspects of food hygiene.

So we can rest assured that the Maharajah Restaurant in Purton, not only provides us with some of the finest Indian dishes available, but also provides the very highest levels of food Hygiene in the preparation of its excellent foods.

And that’s official!