3

Sweet Basil food hygiene rating

Takeaway/sandwich shop · Havering

Sweet Basil holds a 3: generally satisfactory. The takeaway met the legal standard, but the inspector recorded enough minor issues that it fell short of a good or very good rating.

The rating: 3 - Generally satisfactory

The rating dates from 17 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: 179 South Street, Romford, RM1 1PS

How it compares in Havering

In Havering, 72% of rated places manage a 5, so Sweet Basil sits behind roughly 1,505 nearby businesses. 5% of the borough shares its 3.

Every rated food business in Havering
5 out of 5 1,179 72%
4 out of 5 326 20%
3 out of 5 85 5% ← Sweet Basil
2 out of 5 19 1%
1 out of 5 34 2%
0 out of 5 3 <1%

A further 394 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.

What the inspector found

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 Sweet Basil 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 Sweet Basil, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
Aforda Retailers - other 88 yards away 5 - Very good 1 May 2026
Asia Villa Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 144 yards away 5 - Very good 31 March 2026
Asda Express Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets 294 yards away 5 - Very good 1 February 2024
Ava Grill & Lounge Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 357 yards away 5 - Very good 27 February 2026
Braza Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 362 yards away 5 - Very good 13 October 2025
Boots Retailers - other 414 yards away 5 - Very good 29 May 2026
Admiral Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 0.3 miles away 5 - Very good 24 April 2026
Ayra Pub/bar/nightclub 0.3 miles away 5 - Very good 11 August 2025

Questions about Sweet Basil

What is Sweet Basil's food hygiene rating?

Sweet Basil has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by Havering Council on 17 July 2025.

Is Sweet Basil safe to eat at?

A 3 means the takeaway met the legal standard, so it is lawful to eat there, but the inspector recorded issues that stopped it scoring higher. It is the middle of the scale.

When was Sweet Basil last inspected?

Sweet Basil was last inspected on 17 July 2025, 11 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Havering Council rather than by the business.

What did the inspector find at Sweet Basil?

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 "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.

How does Sweet Basil compare to other places in Havering?

72% of the 1,646 rated food businesses in Havering hold the top rating of 5, while Sweet Basil holds a 3. 85 places in the area share that rating.

Who decides the rating?

Havering Council inspects Sweet Basil 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 Sweet Basil and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.

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Understanding this rating

More food hygiene ratings near here

Sweet Basil is one of 777 rated food businesses in Romford. See every hygiene rating in Romford

Havering inspects and rates 2,040 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Havering

The official record is held by the council: http://www.havering.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 →