Holdi, a Liverpool Indian restaurant known for attracting A-list celebrities, has been given a zero food hygiene rating by Liverpool City Council inspectors. The owner, Najer Hossain, has responded by saying the problems have been addressed and the restaurant has reopened.
Located on Woolton Street in Woolton, Holdi is widely celebrated as one of the city's top curry houses. Just last year, it was listed among the top 10 Liverpool curry houses in the English Curry Awards.
Celebrity clientele and recent inspection
Since opening in 2012, Holdi has collected numerous accolades, including best Indian cuisine at the Liverpool Lifestyle Awards in 2016 and 2017. The south Liverpool eatery has built a reputation for attracting celebrity diners, quickly becoming a go-to spot for soap stars from Hollyoaks and Coronation Street in the years after its launch.
In 2024, Holdi hosted Hollywood royalty when Elijah Wood and his Lord of the Rings co-star Billy Boyd visited for a meal while in town for the annual Comic Con convention. Elijah reportedly told staff the meal was the "best Indian he had ever had". Football figures such as Anthony Gordon, Harvey Elliott and Sean Dyche are known to be regulars, and UFC star Paddy Pimblett was snapped with staff in September this year after dining with friends.
However, just a few days after hosting Pimblett, on September 14, environmental health inspectors from Liverpool City Council visited Holdi. According to a report on the Food Standards Agency website, the inspection resulted in a zero out of five rating for food hygiene, with a statement declaring that "urgent improvement is necessary".
Owner explains electrical problems
Mr Hossain explained that one of the primary reasons for the low rating was electrical problems, which required the use of a generator that also encountered issues. In part of his statement, he said: "On the night of the 13th of September, the generator had again switched off. This time due to our own carelessness of not leaving it with enough diesel, something we have been extra cautious about since."
"This had again affected the temperature of our fridge and freezers, we then had inspectors visit on the 14th, this was before we were due to open, and before any staff had arrived. As we had done previously, we realised we'd need to voluntarily close that day due to temperatures not being to the required level."
The report detailed that major improvement is necessary at the restaurant in terms of food hygiene and safety and structural compliance, while urgent improvement is required in terms of the agency's confidence in the restaurant's management of these areas. For this latter rating, the agency suggests there has been a "poor track record of compliance, with little or not technical knowledge, no appreciation of hazards or quality control and no food safety management system."
Reopening and next steps
Mr Hossain said the restaurant closed voluntarily for just over a week, during which time the wiring was tidied up, difficult-to-reach areas were cleaned, staff received health and safety training, and the restaurant was equipped with disinfectant and hand washes. On September 20, the restaurant decided it was ready to reopen but requested another inspection first, which took place on September 24.
"They were very helpful and this time they were happy with the work that had taken place in the restaurant, and agreed everything was in very good order to begin trading again, we had actioned everything that was required of us and therefore back to being open as usual," he said. "This restaurant has always been a five-star rated restaurant from previous inspections, [however] due to recent issues this has caused us a lapse in concentration in focusing on the things that matter."
Mr Hossain added that the restaurant has requested another revisit, as a rescoring can only be done when a restaurant is operational, and is hopeful this will take place in a couple of weeks. Approval has been acquired from the council to carry out the necessary outside work to restore the power supply, which is scheduled to be completed by the end of October.
