The Ol'Chemist food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Shropshire
The Ol'Chemist holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the restaurant are good. It is a solid result, the inspector found nothing serious, though a 5 was just out of reach.
The rating: 4 - Good
The rating dates from 22 July 2025, 11 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: 4 - 5 Market Street, Shrewsbury, SY1 1LE
How it compares in Shropshire
In Shropshire, 88% of rated places manage a 5, so The Ol'Chemist sits behind roughly 2,512 nearby businesses. 8% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 2,512 | 88% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 223 | 8% | ← The Ol'Chemist | |
| 3 out of 5 | 86 | 3% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 30 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 9 | <1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 2 | <1% |
A further 249 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Very good
- 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 Ol'Chemist 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 Ol'Chemist, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diggidy Dogs Retailers - other | 24 yards away | 5 - Very good | 6 May 2026 |
| Blacks Retailers - other | 48 yards away | 5 - Very good | 2 August 2023 |
| Brooklyn Craft Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 49 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 November 2025 |
| Domino's Pizza Takeaway/sandwich shop | 66 yards away | 5 - Very good | 29 July 2025 |
| Cote Brasserie Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 73 yards away | 5 - Very good | 5 March 2025 |
| Black Box Moreish Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 83 yards away | 5 - Very good | 14 May 2026 |
| Eat In Pizza Takeaway/sandwich shop | 83 yards away | 5 - Very good | 1 May 2024 |
| Daily Brews Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 92 yards away | 5 - Very good | 21 May 2025 |
Questions about The Ol'Chemist
What is The Ol'Chemist's food hygiene rating?
The Ol'Chemist has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Shropshire Council on 22 July 2025.
Is The Ol'Chemist safe to eat at?
The rating covers hygiene standards found at inspection, not the food itself. At 4 out of 5, the inspector found hygiene standards at this restaurant to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was The Ol'Chemist last inspected?
The Ol'Chemist was last inspected on 22 July 2025, 11 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Shropshire Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Ol'Chemist?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "very good", 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 Ol'Chemist compare to other places in Shropshire?
88% of the 2,862 rated food businesses in Shropshire hold the top rating of 5, while The Ol'Chemist holds a 4. 223 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Shropshire Council inspects The Ol'Chemist 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 Ol'Chemist 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 Ol'Chemist is one of 808 rated food businesses in Shrewsbury. See every hygiene rating in Shrewsbury →
Shropshire inspects and rates 3,111 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Shropshire →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.shropshire.gov.uk/foodhygienescheme
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 →