The Old Bush food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Sandwell
The Old Bush holds a 0, the lowest food hygiene rating possible, meaning urgent improvement is necessary. The inspector found serious problems at the restaurant requiring immediate action.
The rating: 0 - Urgent improvement necessary
The rating dates from 8 October 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: The Barge And Barrel Factory Road, Tipton, DY4 9AU
How it compares in Sandwell
A 0 is rare: only 11 of 2,350 rated places in Sandwell score this low, about one in 214. By contrast 66% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,561 | 66% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 513 | 22% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 168 | 7% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 41 | 2% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 56 | 2% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 11 | <1% | ← The Old Bush |
A further 326 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Major improvement necessary
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Urgent improvement necessary
- How well they manage food safety Urgent 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 The Old Bush 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.
Questions about The Old Bush
What is The Old Bush's food hygiene rating?
The Old Bush has a food hygiene rating of 0 out of 5 (urgent improvement necessary), given by Sandwell Council on 8 October 2025.
Is The Old Bush safe to eat at?
A 0 means urgent improvement is necessary: the inspector found serious problems. The restaurant may still be trading, because a rating is not a closure order, but this is the lowest score the scheme gives.
When was The Old Bush last inspected?
The Old Bush was last inspected on 8 October 2025, 9 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Sandwell Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Old Bush?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "major improvement necessary", the cleanliness and condition of the building "urgent improvement necessary", and confidence in the management of food safety "urgent improvement necessary". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Old Bush compare to other places in Sandwell?
66% of the 2,350 rated food businesses in Sandwell hold the top rating of 5, while The Old Bush holds a 0. 11 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Sandwell Council inspects The Old Bush 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 Old Bush 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 0 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 Sandwell, 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: Sandwell
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
The Old Bush is one of 242 rated food businesses in Tipton. See every hygiene rating in Tipton →
Sandwell inspects and rates 2,676 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Sandwell →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.sandwell.gov.uk/foodratings
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 →