Phone A Meal food hygiene rating
Takeaway/sandwich shop · Sefton
Phone A Meal holds a 1: major improvement is necessary. The inspector found significant problems at the takeaway and the business is legally required to address them.
The rating: 1 - Major improvement necessary
The rating dates from 4 March 2026, 4 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: 43 Piercefield Road, Formby, L37 7DG
How it compares in Sefton
A 1 is rare: only 15 of 2,128 rated places in Sefton score this low, about one in 142. By contrast 84% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,796 | 84% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 216 | 10% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 83 | 4% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 18 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 15 | 1% | ← Phone A Meal | |
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 265 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 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 Phone A Meal the inspector recorded concerns over 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 Phone A Meal, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jungle Play Formby Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 162 yards away | 5 - Very good | 12 December 2024 |
| Grapes Hotel Formby - K-Town, Chik Box, Locked & Loaded, 88th Street, Pub/bar/nightclub | 219 yards away | 5 - Very good | 23 October 2024 |
| Himalayan Spice Nepalese Restaurant & Bar Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 222 yards away | 5 - Very good | 26 February 2026 |
| Formby Hockey and Squash Club Pub/bar/nightclub | 265 yards away | 5 - Very good | 30 April 2025 |
| Bargain Booze Retailers - other | 274 yards away | 5 - Very good | 18 May 2023 |
| Bistro Moulin Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 300 yards away | 5 - Very good | 18 March 2026 |
| Formby Lawn Tennis Club Pub/bar/nightclub | 309 yards away | 5 - Very good | 9 January 2020 |
| Little Italy Takeaway/sandwich shop | 371 yards away | 5 - Very good | 14 January 2026 |
Questions about Phone A Meal
What is Phone A Meal's food hygiene rating?
Phone A Meal has a food hygiene rating of 1 out of 5 (major improvement necessary), given by Sefton Council on 4 March 2026.
Is Phone A Meal safe to eat at?
A 1 means the inspector found problems the business is required to fix. The takeaway 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 Phone A Meal last inspected?
Phone A Meal was last inspected on 4 March 2026, 4 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Sefton Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Phone A Meal?
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 "major improvement necessary". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Phone A Meal compare to other places in Sefton?
84% of the 2,128 rated food businesses in Sefton hold the top rating of 5, while Phone A Meal holds a 1. 15 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Sefton Council inspects Phone A Meal 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 Phone A Meal 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 Sefton, 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: Sefton
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Phone A Meal is one of 148 rated food businesses in Formby. See every hygiene rating in Formby →
Sefton inspects and rates 2,393 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Sefton →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.sefton.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 →