By Mara Pattison-Sowden
FRESH food and a welcoming nature is the recipe for success in the food industry.
And that’s what has won an Altona North takeaway shop an award in food safety.
The owner, Helen Mellas, from Milas Takeaway, greets her customers enthusiastically and asks them how their day is.
Mrs Mellas has been running the shop for 19 years with her husband Nick and believes you must love what you do to be successful.
And Milas has certainly been successful, winning the 2010 Fast Food and Outstanding Performance Awards in food safety for Hobsons Bay.
“We give the people what they want,” Mrs Mellas said.
She said it was good that rules have become more stringent with food safety over the years.
She constantly wipes down the counter of crumbs, uses fresh oil to cook with and keeps the sandwich meats in the fridge.
“People try to cheat and not clean properly. It’s not hard to keep it clean,” she said.
An important part of the day is the lunch run for local factories.
Mrs Mellas begins work at 5.30am, making fresh sandwiches that Mr Mellas delivers to their regular customers in the area.
