The Royal Spice food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · West Devon
The Royal Spice holds a 3: generally satisfactory. The restaurant met the legal standard, but the inspector recorded enough minor issues that it fell short of a good or very good rating.
The rating: 3 - Generally satisfactory
The rating dates from 14 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: 78 West Street, Tavistock, PL19 8AQ
How it compares in West Devon
In West Devon, 83% of rated places manage a 5, so The Royal Spice sits behind roughly 527 nearby businesses. 3% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 456 | 83% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 71 | 13% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 15 | 3% | ← The Royal Spice | |
| 2 out of 5 | 4 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 2 | <1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 81 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 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 The Royal Spice 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 Royal Spice, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Queens Head Pub/bar/nightclub | 10 yards away | 5 - Very good | 23 April 2025 |
| Roots and Vines Retailers - other | 21 yards away | 5 - Very good | 29 March 2025 |
| The Ganges Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 28 yards away | 5 - Very good | 26 June 2025 |
| Kings Bakery & Deli Retailers - other | 30 yards away | 5 - Very good | 7 August 2025 |
| Lynn's American Diner Ltd Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 36 yards away | 5 - Very good | 17 March 2026 |
| Mickey's Plaice Takeaway/sandwich shop | 46 yards away | 5 - Very good | 11 June 2025 |
| The Cornish Arms Pub/bar/nightclub | 50 yards away | 5 - Very good | 27 June 2025 |
| The Brew House Coffee Shop Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 51 yards away | 5 - Very good | 3 December 2025 |
Questions about The Royal Spice
What is The Royal Spice's food hygiene rating?
The Royal Spice has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by West Devon Council on 14 October 2025.
Is The Royal Spice safe to eat at?
A 3 means the restaurant met the legal standard, so it is lawful to eat there, but the inspector recorded issues that stopped it scoring higher. It is the middle of the scale.
When was The Royal Spice last inspected?
The Royal Spice was last inspected on 14 October 2025, 9 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by West Devon Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Royal Spice?
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 "good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Royal Spice compare to other places in West Devon?
83% of the 548 rated food businesses in West Devon hold the top rating of 5, while The Royal Spice holds a 3. 15 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
West Devon Council inspects The Royal Spice 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 Royal Spice 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 Royal Spice is one of 116 rated food businesses in Tavistock. See every hygiene rating in Tavistock →
West Devon inspects and rates 629 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in West Devon →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.westdevon.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 →