Turnaround eatery in final of awards
RESTAURANT Istanblue was nominated for a national award - a year after it was closed down by hygiene inspectors.
The Royton eatery was up for a coveted British Kebab Award, with winners crowned at a special ceremony and dinner in London’s Park Lane.
Although Istanblue missed out on the top award, it marked quite a turnaround for the venue, which was shut on the spot after a visit from food standards inspectors in November 2016.
Cockroaches were found in a cutlery drawer, on salad and in a dishwasher, and fridges, floors and walls were all covered in dirt.
The restaurant was shut down, but following a change in management and a £450,000 revamp, Istanblue reopened with a four-star food hygiene rating and a new menu.
When we paid a visit last week, olive trees lined Istanblue’s interior, while upstairs there is a cocktail lounge bar serving an array of contemporary tipples.
The kitchens are spotless too.
The restaurant now stands as a gleaming beacon in the middle of Royton’s developing main street.
Owner and chef Erhan Karakoc has transformed the inside of the building - which he says is helping to attract more food and drink operators to Royton.
The closure was a shock, but Karakoc knew that things had to change.
“We changed about 70 per cent of the restaurant - front of house, back of house,” he said.
“We also changed most of the staff and invest a lot of time in training now. We brought in a new menu too.
“We wanted to create something really nice for Royton that would attract more people and businesses to Oldham. We’ve noticed a few new places open recently, so we hope we’ve played a part in that.”
The bar above, which customers can enter via a separate door next to the restaurant - now attracts local office workers and young professionals, says Karakoc, and he has also installed a VIP area.
“The cocktail bar was here before but we’ve put a lot more time and effort into the menu and letting people know it’s here,” he says.
“The customers have been really good to us we’re doing well and it’s nice to be nominated for an award. We want to bring something positive to the area.”