AJ's Convenience Store food hygiene rating
Retailers - other · Portsmouth
AJ's Convenience Store holds a 3: generally satisfactory. The shop met the legal standard, but the inspector recorded enough minor issues that it fell short of a good or very good rating.
The rating: 3 - Generally satisfactory
The rating dates from 2 July 2026, 2 months ago. Councils typically re-inspect higher-risk businesses every six months to two years, with well-run, low-risk places visited least often, so this is a normal gap.
This sits in the middle for Portsmouth, where 8% of rated places score below 3 and 83% score 4 or 5. See all Portsmouth ratings →
Address: 1 Cotswold House, Cheltenham Road, Portsmouth, PO6 3QA
How this rating has changed
AJ's Convenience Store was re-inspected on 2 July 2026 and held its rating of 3.
| Inspected | Rating | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2 July 2026 | 3 3 | Held |
The FSA publishes only a business's current rating. This history is our own record of what it has scored since we began watching.
How it compares in Portsmouth
In Portsmouth, 63% of rated places manage a 5, so AJ's Convenience Store sits behind roughly 1,294 nearby businesses. 9% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 979 | 63% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 315 | 20% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 135 | 9% | ← AJ's Convenience Store | |
| 2 out of 5 | 77 | 5% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 46 | 3% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 7 | <1% |
A further 245 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Generally satisfactory
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Generally satisfactory
- How well they manage food safety Generally satisfactory
An inspection scores three things: how food is handled, the physical condition of the premises, and how much the inspector trusts management to keep standards up. At AJ's Convenience Store none of the three raised a concern, the overall rating is only ever as strong as its weakest area, so a clean sweep is what produces a high score.
Food hygiene ratings nearby
The closest food businesses to AJ's Convenience Store, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cytiva Other catering premises | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 19 August 2025 |
| Caterlink @ City Of Portsmouth College School/college/university | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 5 December 2024 |
| Busy Bees At Portsmouth Caring Premises | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 10 March 2025 |
| Café On The Green Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 5 February 2026 |
| Caterlink At Medina Primary School School/college/university | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 3 December 2025 |
| Chaos Support Ltd Day Services Caring Premises | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 21 June 2017 |
| Costa Coffee Portsmouth Retail Park Drive Thru Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 21 August 2023 |
| Caterlink At St Paul's Catholic Primary School And Nursery School/college/university | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 16 December 2025 |
Questions about AJ's Convenience Store
What is AJ's Convenience Store's food hygiene rating?
AJ's Convenience Store has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by Portsmouth Council on 2 July 2026.
Is AJ's Convenience Store safe to eat at?
A 3 means the shop met the legal standard, so it is lawful to eat there, but the inspector recorded issues that stopped it scoring higher. It is the middle of the scale.
When was AJ's Convenience Store last inspected?
AJ's Convenience Store was last inspected on 2 July 2026, 2 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Portsmouth Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at AJ's Convenience Store?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "generally satisfactory", the cleanliness and condition of the building "generally satisfactory", and confidence in the management of food safety "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does AJ's Convenience Store compare to other places in Portsmouth?
63% of the 1,559 rated food businesses in Portsmouth hold the top rating of 5, while AJ's Convenience Store holds a 3. 135 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Portsmouth Council inspects AJ's Convenience Store and sets the rating; the Food Standards Agency publishes it. Neither the business nor this site can change a rating, a business that disagrees can appeal to its council, and can request a re-inspection once it has fixed the problems.
Tell me when this changes
The Food Standards Agency publishes only a business's rating today, not what it scored before, and not when it moves. We check every UK rating each night. Watch AJ's Convenience Store and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
Free, for three businesses, forever. No password, we send you a link. How rating alerts work →
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Portsmouth inspects and rates 1,804 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Portsmouth →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.portsmouth.gov.uk
Rating from the Food Standards Agency under the Open Government Licence. Ratings reflect standards found at the time of inspection and can change. If you think a rating is wrong, the official record is held by the FSA and the local authority; corrections there flow through here. How ratings work →