Punjabi Virsa food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · West Berkshire
Punjabi Virsa 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 25 June 2026, 2 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.
Only 2% of rated food businesses in West Berkshire score 0 to 2 like this, so a low rating here is the exception, not the norm. See all West Berkshire ratings →
Address: 4A Hambridge Road, Newbury, RG14 5SS
How this rating has changed
Punjabi Virsa has gone backwards: it held a 4 before its inspection on 25 June 2026, and now holds a 1. A rating of 1 means the inspector found problems the business is required to fix.
| Inspected | Rating | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 25 June 2026 | 4 1 | Worse |
The FSA publishes only a business's current rating. This history is our own record of what it has scored since we began watching.
How it compares in West Berkshire
A 1 is rare: only 6 of 1,093 rated places in West Berkshire score this low, about one in 182. By contrast 85% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 931 | 85% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 100 | 9% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 44 | 4% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 11 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 6 | 1% | ← Punjabi Virsa | |
| 0 out of 5 | 1 | <1% |
A further 179 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 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 Punjabi Virsa 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 Punjabi Virsa, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Community Furniture Project Retailers - other | 130 yards away | 5 - Very good | 19 December 2024 |
| A2 Dominion @ Audrey Needham House Other catering premises | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 11 December 2025 |
| Halfords Retailers - other | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 28 April 2016 |
| Educafe at Newbury Library Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 5 March 2025 |
| Friends United Limited T/A Chilis Indian Restaurant Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 16 July 2024 |
| Caffe Pausa At Dunelm Mill Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 28 November 2024 |
| Club Bar & Lounge Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 29 November 2024 |
| Freixenet Copestick Limited Retailers - other | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 19 June 2019 |
Questions about Punjabi Virsa
What is Punjabi Virsa's food hygiene rating?
Punjabi Virsa has a food hygiene rating of 1 out of 5 (major improvement necessary), given by West Berkshire Council on 25 June 2026.
Is Punjabi Virsa 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 Punjabi Virsa last inspected?
Punjabi Virsa was last inspected on 25 June 2026, 2 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by West Berkshire Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Punjabi Virsa?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "generally satisfactory", 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 Punjabi Virsa compare to other places in West Berkshire?
85% of the 1,093 rated food businesses in West Berkshire hold the top rating of 5, while Punjabi Virsa holds a 1. 6 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
West Berkshire Council inspects Punjabi Virsa 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 Punjabi Virsa 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 West Berkshire, 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: West Berkshire
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Punjabi Virsa is one of 383 rated food businesses in Newbury. See every hygiene rating in Newbury →
West Berkshire inspects and rates 1,272 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in West Berkshire →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.westberks.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 →