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Liverpool kashrut crisis deepens as deli turns down opportunity to regain kosher licence

Rosemans, which had its kashrut licence rescinded after being found to have regularly ordered non-kosher meat, has opted to run an unlicensed business

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The deli at the centre of Liverpool's kashrut crisis has turned down options which would have allowed it to regain rabbinical certification, according to the local kashrut authority.

In a notice made public this afternoon, Liverpool Kashrut Commission reported that “following detailed guidance in conjunction with the Chief Rabbi and Dayan Gelley, head of London Beth Din, the LKC put forward several options to the owners of Rosemans Delicatessen to enable them to obtain a kashrut licence.

“They have decided not to adopt any of those options and to run Rosemans as an unlicensed business. We are therefore required to advise the community that Rosemans is no longer under the supervision of LKC.”

As reported by the JC last month, the KLC had instituted emergency measures to provide kosher food for communal facilities after Rosemans, the city’s only kosher meat supplier, was found to have received regular orders of non-kosher meat for a number of years.

The announcement was followed a day later by the death of Robert Kaye, 43, Rosemans' owner.

Locals were instructed not to use utensils or ovens which had been used to cook meat or poultry bought from the deli “until further notice”. Instructions were subsequently supplied regarding how to kosher ovens and microwaves, and public koshering sessions for other utensils were held at Liverpool's Childwall shul.

As an interim step, the public was informed that stocks of kosher chickens on sale in the deli which were “sealed and carry a proper hechsher”, having not been prepared on site, were still available for purchase.

Howard Winik, president of Merseyside Jewish Representative Council, said that there were now “several possibilities” going forward regarding the supply of kosher meet to Jewish Liverpool residents, “and each needs to be considered carefully.

“However, I remain very confident that all members of the community will continue to have access to the kosher food that they need in the future.”

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