Inspectors close food outlet after diners fall ill

A city food outlet has been closed temporarily after people fell ill from bacteria found in meals served there.

Moorish Falafel Bar in Lower Goat Lane, Norwich, was shut by the city council after tests confirmed the presence of listeria.

The council issued a Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notice (HEPN) on 1 July, forbidding any food preparation or sale taking place until the health risks have been resolved.

Samia King, owner of the vegan diner and takeaway, said her team had been working with the council to find and eliminate the source of listeria.

Environmental health officers served the HEPN after the UK Health Security Agency was notified of a small number of cases of listerosis, a potentially serious food-borne infection.

A spokesperson for Norwich City Council said the business would remain closed while investigations continued.

The HEPN stated that a strain of listeria bacteria had been found in ready-to-eat food products.

It said the strain had been "directly linked to a confirmed case of listeriosis".

Symptoms can include vomiting, diarrhoea or flu symptoms in healthy people. It can be life-threatening for vulnerable people, such as the elderly or those with weakened immune systems.

The HEPN said the bacteria had been found in bulgur wheat salad, hummus and on a spatula used to prepare falafels.

As these foods were ready-to-eat and the food was likely to have been contaminated when sold to customers, said inspectors.

Moorish Falafel Bar has a five-star hygiene rating, according to the latest Food Standards Agency inspection carried out by officers in August 2025.

It has had that rating for the 15 years it has been in business. It says it makes all of its food fresh every day and that it works with top suppliers.

King added: "We don't have any more information currently but we are confident this situation will be resolved quickly.

"We appreciate everyone's patience and support."

Do you have a story suggestion for Norfolk? Contact us below.

Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.