Chai Spot food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Ealing
Chai Spot holds a 1: major improvement is necessary. The inspector found significant problems at the restaurant and the business is legally required to address them.
The rating: 1 - Major improvement necessary
The rating dates from 3 June 2025, 13 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: Ground Floor Shop, 249 High Street, Acton, W3 9BY
How it compares in Ealing
A 1 is rare: only 135 of 3,049 rated places in Ealing score this low, about one in 23. By contrast 58% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,773 | 58% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 615 | 20% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 286 | 9% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 210 | 7% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 135 | 4% | ← Chai Spot | |
| 0 out of 5 | 30 | 1% |
A further 622 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 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 Chai Spot the inspector recorded concerns over 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 Chai Spot, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amigos Burgers And Shakes Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 6 yards away | 5 - Very good | 14 October 2025 |
| Admiral Casino Other catering premises | 340 yards away | 5 - Very good | 26 September 2023 |
| Acton Homeless Concern (Emmaus House) Caring Premises | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 10 March 2026 |
| Acton Booze & Vape Retailers - other | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 10 December 2025 |
| ActOne Cinema And Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 17 October 2024 |
| A Pint Of Hops Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 4 July 2024 |
| Acton Care Centre Caring Premises | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 28 January 2026 |
| Acton Oriental Stores T/a Budgens Retailers - other | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 30 July 2024 |
Questions about Chai Spot
What is Chai Spot's food hygiene rating?
Chai Spot has a food hygiene rating of 1 out of 5 (major improvement necessary), given by Ealing Council on 3 June 2025.
Is Chai Spot safe to eat at?
A 1 means the inspector found problems the business is required to fix. The restaurant 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 Chai Spot last inspected?
Chai Spot was last inspected on 3 June 2025, 13 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Ealing Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Chai Spot?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "generally satisfactory", 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 Chai Spot compare to other places in Ealing?
58% of the 3,049 rated food businesses in Ealing hold the top rating of 5, while Chai Spot holds a 1. 135 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Ealing Council inspects Chai Spot 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 Chai Spot 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 Ealing, 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: Ealing
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Chai Spot is one of 518 rated food businesses in Acton. See every hygiene rating in Acton →
Ealing inspects and rates 3,671 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Ealing →
The official record is held by the council: https://www.ealing.gov.uk/info/201150/food_hygiene_and_safety
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 →