Friends Restaurant food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Oldham
Friends Restaurant holds a 5, the highest food hygiene rating there is. At its last inspection the restaurant met every standard the inspector checked, with nothing needing attention.
The rating: 5 - Very good
The rating dates from 28 December 2025, 6 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: 196 Ashton Road, Oldham, OL8 1QT
How it compares in Oldham
That puts Friends Restaurant among the 1,253 places in Oldham holding top marks, 75% of everywhere the council rates. A 5 is the norm here rather than the exception, so it is the rating to expect, not to be impressed by.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,253 | 75% | ← Friends Restaurant | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 238 | 14% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 91 | 5% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 65 | 4% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 26 | 2% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 7 | <1% |
A further 259 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Good
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Good
- How well they manage food safety Good
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 Friends Restaurant 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 Friends Restaurant, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baymans Butchers Retailers - other | 44 yards away | 5 - Very good | 27 December 2023 |
| Abaseen Oldham Takeaway/sandwich shop | 209 yards away | 5 - Very good | 16 August 2024 |
| Ahmad Grocers Retailers - other | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 2 August 2025 |
| Bakur Grill House Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 12 March 2026 |
| As Good As it Gets Other catering premises | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 4 July 2025 |
| AI Catering Services Other catering premises | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 6 September 2024 |
| AI Takeaway Takeaway/sandwich shop | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 13 August 2024 |
| Alexandra Nursing Home Caring Premises | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 18 October 2025 |
Questions about Friends Restaurant
What is Friends Restaurant's food hygiene rating?
Friends Restaurant has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Oldham Council on 28 December 2025.
Is Friends Restaurant safe to eat at?
The rating covers hygiene standards found at inspection, not the food itself. At 5 out of 5, the inspector found hygiene standards at this restaurant to be very good, the top end of the scale.
When was Friends Restaurant last inspected?
Friends Restaurant was last inspected on 28 December 2025, 6 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Oldham Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Friends Restaurant?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "good", and confidence in the management of food safety "good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Friends Restaurant compare to other places in Oldham?
75% of the 1,680 rated food businesses in Oldham hold the top rating of 5, and Friends Restaurant is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
Oldham Council inspects Friends Restaurant 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 Friends Restaurant and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Oldham inspects and rates 1,939 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Oldham →
The official record is held by the council: https://www.oldham.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 →