Costless trader food hygiene rating
Retailers - other · Worthing
Costless trader 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 30 September 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: 31 South Farm Road, Worthing, BN14 7AD
How it compares in Worthing
A 1 is rare: only 15 of 938 rated places in Worthing score this low, about one in 63. By contrast 81% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 758 | 81% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 123 | 13% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 23 | 2% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 19 | 2% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 15 | 2% | ← Costless trader | |
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 91 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Good
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Generally satisfactory
- 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 Costless trader the inspector recorded concerns over 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 Costless trader, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bottle & Jug Dept Pub/bar/nightclub | 34 yards away | 5 - Very good | 24 March 2026 |
| Broadwater Support Community Hub Distributors/Transporters | 51 yards away | 5 - Very good | 19 June 2025 |
| Best One Express Retailers - other | 118 yards away | 5 - Very good | 24 March 2026 |
| All In Onez Retailers - other | 169 yards away | 5 - Very good | 5 September 2022 |
| Ajisai Bubble Tea Takeaway/sandwich shop | 187 yards away | 5 - Very good | 11 July 2022 |
| Black Sea Retailers - other | 274 yards away | 5 - Very good | 10 April 2026 |
| Avon House Caring Premises | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 27 January 2026 |
| Bywell House Caring Premises | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 14 April 2026 |
Questions about Costless trader
What is Costless trader's food hygiene rating?
Costless trader has a food hygiene rating of 1 out of 5 (major improvement necessary), given by Worthing Council on 30 September 2025.
Is Costless trader 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 Costless trader last inspected?
Costless trader was last inspected on 30 September 2025, 9 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Worthing Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Costless trader?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "generally satisfactory", 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 Costless trader compare to other places in Worthing?
81% of the 938 rated food businesses in Worthing hold the top rating of 5, while Costless trader holds a 1. 15 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Worthing Council inspects Costless trader 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 Costless trader 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 Worthing, 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: Worthing
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Worthing inspects and rates 1,029 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Worthing →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.adur-worthing.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 →