WH Smith - bookshop food hygiene rating
Retailers - other · Luton
WH Smith - bookshop holds a 5, the highest food hygiene rating there is. At its last inspection the shop met every standard the inspector checked, with nothing needing attention.
The rating: 5 - Very good
The rating dates from 3 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: Terminal Building (Airside), Unit 7-8 "Terminal Building", LU2 9LY
How it compares in Luton
That puts WH Smith - bookshop among the 846 places in Luton holding top marks, 65% 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 | 846 | 65% | ← WH Smith - bookshop | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 231 | 18% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 165 | 13% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 16 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 33 | 3% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 6 | <1% |
A further 403 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Very good
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Very good
- How well they manage food safety Very 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 WH Smith - bookshop 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 WH Smith - bookshop, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chaiiwala Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 2 yards away | 5 - Very good | 26 November 2024 |
| Boots UK Retailers - other | 4 yards away | 5 - Very good | 16 January 2024 |
| Bagel Factory Takeaway/sandwich shop | 229 yards away | 5 - Very good | 22 July 2025 |
| Caffe Nero Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 233 yards away | 5 - Very good | 21 January 2026 |
| Burger King Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 280 yards away | 5 - Very good | 22 July 2025 |
| Blue Apple Catering Holding LTD Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 20 March 2026 |
| Boots UK Retailers - other | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 28 May 2019 |
| Chopstix Noodle bar also trading as Breakfast box Other catering premises | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 18 September 2025 |
Questions about WH Smith - bookshop
What is WH Smith - bookshop's food hygiene rating?
WH Smith - bookshop has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Luton Council on 3 December 2025.
Is WH Smith - bookshop 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 shop to be very good, the top end of the scale.
When was WH Smith - bookshop last inspected?
WH Smith - bookshop was last inspected on 3 December 2025, 7 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Luton Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at WH Smith - bookshop?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "very good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "very good", and confidence in the management of food safety "very good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does WH Smith - bookshop compare to other places in Luton?
65% of the 1,297 rated food businesses in Luton hold the top rating of 5, and WH Smith - bookshop is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
Luton Council inspects WH Smith - bookshop 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 WH Smith - bookshop 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 →
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Luton inspects and rates 1,700 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Luton →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.luton.gov.uk/foodscore
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 →