Lidstones Butchers food hygiene rating
Retailers - other · South Hams
Lidstones Butchers 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 23 October 2025, 8 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: 70 Fore Street, Kingsbridge, TQ7 1PP
How it compares in South Hams
A 1 is rare: only 7 of 854 rated places in South Hams score this low, about one in 122. By contrast 91% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 773 | 91% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 57 | 7% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 15 | 2% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 2 | <1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 7 | 1% | ← Lidstones Butchers | |
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 253 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 Lidstones Butchers 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 Lidstones Butchers, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| AJ's Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | at this address | 5 - Very good | 3 July 2025 |
| Mangetout Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | at this address | 5 - Very good | 21 May 2025 |
| Velarde Other catering premises | 30 yards away | Awaiting inspection | |
| AJOK Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 49 yards away | 5 - Very good | 21 August 2025 |
| Cafe Bewleys Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 56 yards away | 5 - Very good | 25 July 2024 |
| Ceylon Cinnamon Restaurant Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 56 yards away | 4 - Good | 19 June 2026 |
| Morrisons Daily Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 58 yards away | 5 - Very good | 3 October 2024 |
| Tots Playhouse Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 63 yards away | 5 - Very good | 24 September 2025 |
Questions about Lidstones Butchers
What is Lidstones Butchers's food hygiene rating?
Lidstones Butchers has a food hygiene rating of 1 out of 5 (major improvement necessary), given by South Hams Council on 23 October 2025.
Is Lidstones Butchers 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 Lidstones Butchers last inspected?
Lidstones Butchers was last inspected on 23 October 2025, 8 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by South Hams Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Lidstones Butchers?
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 Lidstones Butchers compare to other places in South Hams?
91% of the 854 rated food businesses in South Hams hold the top rating of 5, while Lidstones Butchers holds a 1. 7 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
South Hams Council inspects Lidstones Butchers 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 Lidstones Butchers 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 South Hams, 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: South Hams
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Lidstones Butchers is one of 75 rated food businesses in Kingsbridge. See every hygiene rating in Kingsbridge →
South Hams inspects and rates 1,107 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in South Hams →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.southhams.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 →