The Spice Merchant food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Birmingham
The Spice Merchant holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the restaurant are good. It is a solid result, the inspector found nothing serious, though a 5 was just out of reach.
The rating: 4 - Good
The rating dates from 24 September 2025, 9 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: 36 Poplar Road, Moseley And Kings Heath, Birmingham, B14 7AD
How it compares in Birmingham
In Birmingham, 66% of rated places manage a 5, so The Spice Merchant sits behind roughly 5,378 nearby businesses. 16% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 5,378 | 66% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 1,311 | 16% | ← The Spice Merchant | |
| 3 out of 5 | 697 | 9% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 319 | 4% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 386 | 5% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 83 | 1% |
A further 1,863 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 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 The Spice Merchant 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 The Spice Merchant, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asda Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 100 yards away | 5 - Very good | 26 July 2019 |
| All Saints Community Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 25 September 2023 |
| Anita Stone Court Caring Premises | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 17 September 2025 |
| Ascot Lodge Caring Premises | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 2 December 2011 |
| Amore Pizzeria and Caffetteria Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 28 November 2024 |
| Anchor Hanover Caring Premises | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 17 September 2025 |
| A&R Newsagents Retailers - other | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 18 December 2025 |
Questions about The Spice Merchant
What is The Spice Merchant's food hygiene rating?
The Spice Merchant has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Birmingham Council on 24 September 2025.
Is The Spice Merchant safe to eat at?
The rating covers hygiene standards found at inspection, not the food itself. At 4 out of 5, the inspector found hygiene standards at this restaurant to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was The Spice Merchant last inspected?
The Spice Merchant was last inspected on 24 September 2025, 9 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Birmingham Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Spice Merchant?
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 "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Spice Merchant compare to other places in Birmingham?
66% of the 8,174 rated food businesses in Birmingham hold the top rating of 5, while The Spice Merchant holds a 4. 1,311 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Birmingham Council inspects The Spice Merchant 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 The Spice Merchant and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
The Spice Merchant is one of 118 rated food businesses in Moseley and Kings Heath. See every hygiene rating in Moseley and Kings Heath →
Birmingham inspects and rates 10,037 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Birmingham →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/environmental-health
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 →