Three Guildford food businesses were rated 1 out of 5 in August, results that reached the register weeks later. All 39 September ratings so far are 5s.
Three Guildford food businesses were given a food hygiene rating of 1 out of 5 in August. The results were added to the Food Standards Agency register after 2 September, weeks after the inspections.
They change the picture we reported on 2 September. At that point every one of the 40 August results published for the borough was a 5. The register now holds 75 inspections dated August, and 19 of them scored below the top rating.
The three rated 1, which the scheme describes as “major improvement necessary”, are:
| Business | Address | Inspected | What the inspector found |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlas World at Bam Nuttall Site | 28 Slyfield Industrial Estate, Westfield Road, GU1 1RR | 12 August | Food handling and premises generally satisfactory; management of food safety, major improvement necessary |
| Pizza Hot Express | 23 Woodbridge Road, GU1 1DY | 19 August | Food handling generally satisfactory; premises, improvement necessary; management, major improvement necessary |
| Stretched and Fired | 2 Chapel Street, GU1 3UH | 25 August | Food handling generally satisfactory; premises, improvement necessary; management, major improvement necessary |
The register lists Atlas World as a restaurant, cafe or canteen at that address. Stretched and Fired’s other Guildford branch, at 37 Woodbridge Hill, was inspected on 19 August and rated 3.
None of the three had posted a right to reply on the register when we checked on 2 October.
Why August looked spotless a month ago
The delay is built into the scheme. Government guidance for businesses says ratings of 0 to 4 are published 3 to 5 weeks after the inspection, to allow time for an appeal. A business has 21 days from being notified to appeal (FSA guidance for businesses).
A 5 carries no such wait, so the good results land first. A roundup written in the first days of a month will always look better than the month really was.
That is what happened with our August report. Here is the full set of August results now on the register:
- 56 rated 5
- 10 rated 4, including the Royal Oak at Pirbright, La Meridiana in East Horsley, the King William IV in West Horsley and Sicool Food on The Shambles
- 6 rated 3: Oishii on Friary Street, Jasmine Garden and Red Planet Pizza at 20 Chapel Street, Raviz in Jeffries Passage, Stretched and Fired on Woodbridge Hill, and Wing Hung in Shalford
- 3 rated 1, listed above
- none rated 0 or 2
We have added a correction to our August food hygiene report.
September so far: 39 results, all 5s
The September results published so far are all top marks. There are 39 of them, the latest dated 23 September. On the same reasoning, any lower ratings from September will not appear until later in October. We will report them when they do.
Among the September 5s:
- In the town centre: Franco Manca on Friary Street, Pret A Manger on Swan Lane, the G Live Cafe-Bar on London Road and Mooboo in White Lion Walk
- Pubs: the Horse and Groom on Epsom Road, The Stoke on Stoke Road and The Swan in Ash Vale
- Days out: the cafe at Dapdune Wharf, Newlands Corner cafe, Manor Farm Tea Room at Seale and Clandon Golf
- In the villages: Crumbs in Shere and Peaslake Village Stores
- Schools and care: St Teresa’s School at Effingham, Henley Fort outdoor education centre on The Mount, Queen Elizabeth Park Care Home and Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery on Denmark Road
All of these are on the FSA register, under Guildford Borough Council.
How the borough scores overall
Of the 1,007 rated food businesses on the register for Guildford borough on 2 October:
- 812 hold a 5, about 81 per cent
- 139 hold a 4 and 48 hold a 3
- 4 are rated 2 and 4 are rated 1
- none is rated 0
A further 79 are awaiting their first inspection and 71 are exempt, making 1,157 food businesses on the register in all.
What it means for you
Any food business can be looked up free on the Food Standards Agency register, and the sticker in the window should match it. Check the inspection date as well as the number. A rating of 1 means the inspector found major improvement was needed on at least one of the three things scored: food handling, the premises, or how food safety is managed.
A low rating is not the last word. A business can appeal within 21 days and post a right to reply on the register at any time before its next inspection. Once it has fixed what was found, it can ask the council for a re-inspection. In England that visit happens within six months if requested in the first three months, or within three months if requested later (FSA guidance for businesses). We will report any re-rating of the three venues above.
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