Bitterne Post Office food hygiene rating
Retailers - other · Southampton
Bitterne Post Office holds a 1: major improvement is necessary. The inspector found significant problems at the shop and the business is legally required to address them.
The rating: 1 - Major improvement necessary
The rating dates from 11 December 2025, 7 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: 16 West End Road, Southampton, SO18 6TG
How it compares in Southampton
A 1 is rare: only 21 of 1,486 rated places in Southampton score this low, about one in 71. By contrast 68% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,016 | 68% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 278 | 19% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 146 | 10% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 23 | 2% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 21 | 1% | ← Bitterne Post Office | |
| 0 out of 5 | 2 | <1% |
A further 218 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 Bitterne Post Office 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 Bitterne Post Office, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bitterne United Reformed Church Retailers - other | 302 yards away | 5 - Very good | 29 September 2025 |
| Bitterne Charcoal Grill Takeaway/sandwich shop | 329 yards away | 5 - Very good | 18 July 2024 |
| Bitterne C of E Primary School School/college/university | 437 yards away | 5 - Very good | 18 December 2025 |
| 360 Sports Coaching Ltd School/college/university | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 29 April 2025 |
| Beechwood School Breakfast Club Caring Premises | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 1 October 2018 |
| Arty-Stan Pizza (also T/As Arty-Stan Events Ltd) Other catering premises | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 5 April 2025 |
| Abbeyfield House Caring Premises | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 22 May 2025 |
| Bean off Road Mobile caterer | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 12 September 2017 |
Questions about Bitterne Post Office
What is Bitterne Post Office's food hygiene rating?
Bitterne Post Office has a food hygiene rating of 1 out of 5 (major improvement necessary), given by Southampton Council on 11 December 2025.
Is Bitterne Post Office safe to eat at?
A 1 means the inspector found problems the business is required to fix. The shop 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 Bitterne Post Office last inspected?
Bitterne Post Office was last inspected on 11 December 2025, 7 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Southampton Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Bitterne Post Office?
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 Bitterne Post Office compare to other places in Southampton?
68% of the 1,486 rated food businesses in Southampton hold the top rating of 5, while Bitterne Post Office holds a 1. 21 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Southampton Council inspects Bitterne Post Office 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 Bitterne Post Office 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 Southampton, 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: Southampton
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Southampton inspects and rates 1,704 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Southampton →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.southampton.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 →