5

South Downs Coffee food hygiene rating

Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Waverley

South Downs Coffee holds a 5, the highest food hygiene rating there is. At its last inspection the restaurant met every standard the inspector checked, with nothing needing attention.

The rating: 5 - Very good

The rating dates from 7 February 2025, 17 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: 172 Thursley Road, Elstead, Godalming

How it compares in Waverley

That puts South Downs Coffee among the 755 places in Waverley holding top marks, 79% 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.

Every rated food business in Waverley
5 out of 5 755 79% ← South Downs Coffee
4 out of 5 113 12%
3 out of 5 60 6%
2 out of 5 22 2%
1 out of 5 9 1%
0 out of 5 1 <1%

A further 107 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.

What the inspector found

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 South Downs Coffee 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 South Downs Coffee, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
Club pizza Mobile caterer 69 yards away 3 - Generally satisfactory 14 October 2025
Tenderlinks Day Nursery Caring Premises 411 yards away 5 - Very good 7 May 2025
Elstead Royal British Legion Pub/bar/nightclub 0.3 miles away 5 - Very good 2 January 2025
The Little Barn Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 0.3 miles away 5 - Very good 7 February 2025
Spar Retailers - other 0.3 miles away 5 - Very good 10 November 2025
The Bridge House Caring Premises 0.3 miles away 5 - Very good 11 June 2025
The Golden Fleece Pub/bar/nightclub 0.4 miles away 5 - Very good 2 November 2022
Golden Fleece Thai Other catering premises 0.4 miles away 2 - Some improvement necessary 17 October 2024

Questions about South Downs Coffee

What is South Downs Coffee's food hygiene rating?

South Downs Coffee has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Waverley Council on 7 February 2025.

Is South Downs Coffee 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 restaurant to be very good, the top end of the scale.

When was South Downs Coffee last inspected?

South Downs Coffee was last inspected on 7 February 2025, 17 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Waverley Council rather than by the business.

What did the inspector find at South Downs Coffee?

The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "very good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "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 South Downs Coffee compare to other places in Waverley?

79% of the 960 rated food businesses in Waverley hold the top rating of 5, and South Downs Coffee is one of them.

Who decides the rating?

Waverley Council inspects South Downs Coffee 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 South Downs Coffee 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

South Downs Coffee is one of 257 rated food businesses in Godalming. See every hygiene rating in Godalming

Waverley inspects and rates 1,067 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Waverley

The official record is held by the council: http://www.waverley.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 →