Village Spice food hygiene rating
Takeaway/sandwich shop · Newcastle-Under-Lyme
Village Spice holds a 1: major improvement is necessary. The inspector found significant problems at the takeaway and the business is legally required to address them.
The rating: 1 - Major improvement necessary
The rating dates from 2 February 2026, 5 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: 36a High Street, Wolstanton, ST5 0HE
How it compares in Newcastle-Under-Lyme
A 1 is rare: only 15 of 894 rated places in Newcastle-Under-Lyme score this low, about one in 60. By contrast 87% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 779 | 87% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 70 | 8% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 26 | 3% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 2 | <1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 15 | 2% | ← Village Spice | |
| 0 out of 5 | 2 | <1% |
A further 85 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 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 Village Spice the inspector recorded concerns over how food is handled 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 Village Spice, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adlington House - Caterplus Caring Premises | 48 yards away | 5 - Very good | 21 May 2025 |
| Annie's Cakes of Art Retailers - other | 48 yards away | 5 - Very good | 20 November 2024 |
| ASDA Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 246 yards away | 5 - Very good | 5 November 2025 |
| Allendale Care Ltd Caring Premises | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 6 December 2024 |
| Allendale Day Care Caring Premises | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 8 August 2024 |
| Alex Ices Mobile caterer | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 4 December 2024 |
| ASDA Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 18 September 2025 |
| B&M Retail Retailers - other | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 10 September 2025 |
Questions about Village Spice
What is Village Spice's food hygiene rating?
Village Spice has a food hygiene rating of 1 out of 5 (major improvement necessary), given by Newcastle-Under-Lyme Council on 2 February 2026.
Is Village Spice safe to eat at?
A 1 means the inspector found problems the business is required to fix. The takeaway 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 Village Spice last inspected?
Village Spice was last inspected on 2 February 2026, 5 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Newcastle-Under-Lyme Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Village Spice?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "improvement necessary", 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 Village Spice compare to other places in Newcastle-Under-Lyme?
87% of the 894 rated food businesses in Newcastle-Under-Lyme hold the top rating of 5, while Village Spice holds a 1. 15 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Newcastle-Under-Lyme Council inspects Village Spice 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 Village Spice 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 Newcastle-Under-Lyme, 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: Newcastle-Under-Lyme
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Village Spice is one of 618 rated food businesses in Newcastle under Lyme. See every hygiene rating in Newcastle under Lyme →
Newcastle-Under-Lyme inspects and rates 979 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Newcastle-Under-Lyme →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.newcastle-staffs.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 →