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SALT LAKE CITY — Health officials have closed down the Middle Eastern Pastry and Deli in Salt Lake City for 47 violations, including slaughtering lambs in its back parking lot.

“Live sheep are being stored and slaughtered onsite in the back parking lot,” according to a report on the Salt Lake County Health Department’s website. “There was a plastic bag with sheep limbs and a sheep head in the back area.”

Some of the other violations include having the kitchen in a garage, unclean cooking and baking equipment, storing food next to car motor oil and dishes being cleaned in a mop sink, according to the report. Health officials say employees were unable to demonstrate proper cleaning and sanitation procedures. The food handler cards were also expired.

Owners of the Middle Eastern Pastry and Deli off of 3300 South Main say they didn’t know they were doing anything wrong.

Live sheep are being stored and slaughtered onsite in the back parking lot. There was a plastic bag with sheep limbs and a sheep head in the back area. –Salt Lake County Health Department report

“Fifteen years ago you could grab a lamb and slaughter it wherever you wanted, because I have been doing that,” an employee named Mike, who declined to give his last name, told KSL. “I thought the rules are the same. I did but I was wrong, they're telling us I shouldn't do it.”

A longtime loyal customer who said he's been coming here for years to get groceries and meat said he didn't know this was going on.

“It is a shock, lamb heads slaughtering in the parking lot,” said customer Corbin, who also declined to give his last name. “Things I’ve seen out of this county, not in Salt Lake City, and if there’s a place for it, it ought to be in a slaughter house.”

However, Corbin said it wouldn’t stop him from coming back.

The employee named Mike says they slaughter the sheep for religious reasons and because that's what their Islamic customers want. The owners say they are in the process of correcting all 47 violations and plan to open again soon.

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