Spice Lounge food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · West Berkshire
Spice Lounge holds a 1: major improvement is necessary. The inspector found significant problems at the restaurant and the business is legally required to address them.
The rating: 1 - Major improvement necessary
The rating dates from 23 January 2026, 5 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.
Address: 20 High Street, Theale, Reading, RG7 5AN
How it compares in West Berkshire
A 1 is rare: only 6 of 1,090 rated places in West Berkshire score this low, about one in 182. By contrast 85% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 931 | 85% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 94 | 9% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 46 | 4% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 12 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 6 | 1% | ← Spice Lounge | |
| 0 out of 5 | 1 | <1% |
A further 163 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Improvement necessary
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Improvement necessary
- How well they manage food safety Major improvement necessary
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 Spice Lounge the inspector recorded concerns over how food is handled, the condition of the premises and confidence in management. Because the overall rating is only ever as strong as its weakest area, that is what holds the score down.
Food hygiene ratings nearby
The closest food businesses to Spice Lounge, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Baguetterie Takeaway/sandwich shop | 13 yards away | 5 - Very good | 10 January 2025 |
| King Wok Takeaway/sandwich shop | 33 yards away | 5 - Very good | 13 May 2025 |
| Berkshire Kebab House Ltd Takeaway/sandwich shop | 33 yards away | 5 - Very good | 28 November 2024 |
| One Stop (T&S) Stores Retailers - other | 54 yards away | 5 - Very good | 15 January 2013 |
| Bradleys Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 61 yards away | 5 - Very good | 7 April 2022 |
| Kaya Fast Food Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 95 yards away | 5 - Very good | 18 November 2024 |
| Love by Lucy and Liam Ltd Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 374 yards away | 5 - Very good | 6 February 2024 |
| Caterlink @ The Castle School Theale School/college/university | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 9 February 2026 |
Questions about Spice Lounge
What is Spice Lounge's food hygiene rating?
Spice Lounge has a food hygiene rating of 1 out of 5 (major improvement necessary), given by West Berkshire Council on 23 January 2026.
Is Spice Lounge safe to eat at?
A 1 means the inspector found problems the business is required to fix. The restaurant is not shut down, a rating is not a closure order, but standards were found to be below what the law expects at the time of inspection.
When was Spice Lounge last inspected?
Spice Lounge was last inspected on 23 January 2026, 5 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by West Berkshire Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Spice Lounge?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "improvement necessary", the cleanliness and condition of the building "improvement necessary", and confidence in the management of food safety "major improvement necessary". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Spice Lounge compare to other places in West Berkshire?
85% of the 1,090 rated food businesses in West Berkshire hold the top rating of 5, while Spice Lounge holds a 1. 6 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
West Berkshire Council inspects Spice Lounge 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 Spice Lounge 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 →
Is this your business?
A rating of 1 is public, and most customers look. Only 18% of people say they would order from a business rated 2 or below, against 94% from one rated 4. Delivery platforms may decline to list you.
We cannot change this rating, and nor can you. It was set by an environmental health officer at West Berkshire, and it stands until they inspect again. What you can do:
- Fix what the inspector found, then ask the council for a re-inspection. Most charge between £120 and £316, and will not re-visit within three months of the original inspection.
- If you believe the rating is simply wrong, you have 21 days from being notified to appeal to the council. That is 21 calendar days, not working days.
- You may submit a right to reply at any time. It is published alongside the rating, here, and on the FSA's own site.
What a low rating means → · How re-inspections and appeals work →
Your council: West Berkshire
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Spice Lounge is one of 36 rated food businesses in Theale. See every hygiene rating in Theale →
West Berkshire inspects and rates 1,253 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in West Berkshire →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.westberks.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 →