Sam’s Authentic Food Store food hygiene rating
Retailers - other · Sandwell
Sam’s Authentic Food Store holds a 2, which means some improvement is necessary. The inspector found problems at the shop that the business is required to fix.
The rating: 2 - Some improvement necessary
The rating dates from 15 February 2025, 16 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: 42 Cape Hill, B66 4PB
How it compares in Sandwell
A 2 is rare: only 41 of 2,350 rated places in Sandwell score this low, about one in 57. By contrast 66% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,561 | 66% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 513 | 22% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 168 | 7% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 41 | 2% | ← Sam’s Authentic Food Store | |
| 1 out of 5 | 56 | 2% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 11 | <1% |
A further 326 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 Improvement necessary
- How well they manage food safety Generally satisfactory
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 Sam’s Authentic Food Store the inspector recorded concerns over the condition of the premises. 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 Sam’s Authentic Food Store, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| A R Supermarket Ltd Retailers - other | 122 yards away | 5 - Very good | 30 June 2022 |
| Arian Food Store Retailers - other | 124 yards away | 5 - Very good | 29 April 2019 |
| Asda Stores Limited Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 134 yards away | 5 - Very good | 14 November 2024 |
| Anis's Takeaway/sandwich shop | 175 yards away | 5 - Very good | 2 August 2025 |
| Al-Halal Fresh Meat and Poultry (inside Anatolia Food Centre) Retailers - other | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 20 September 2025 |
| Anatolia Food Centre Retailers - other | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 14 June 2025 |
| Amritsari Tarka Takeaway/sandwich shop | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 23 March 2026 |
| Authentic Jamaican Food Store Retailers - other | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 18 October 2022 |
Questions about Sam’s Authentic Food Store
What is Sam’s Authentic Food Store's food hygiene rating?
Sam’s Authentic Food Store has a food hygiene rating of 2 out of 5 (some improvement necessary), given by Sandwell Council on 15 February 2025.
Is Sam’s Authentic Food Store safe to eat at?
A 2 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 Sam’s Authentic Food Store last inspected?
Sam’s Authentic Food Store was last inspected on 15 February 2025, 16 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Sandwell Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Sam’s Authentic Food Store?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "improvement necessary", and confidence in the management of food safety "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Sam’s Authentic Food Store compare to other places in Sandwell?
66% of the 2,350 rated food businesses in Sandwell hold the top rating of 5, while Sam’s Authentic Food Store holds a 2. 41 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Sandwell Council inspects Sam’s Authentic Food Store 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 Sam’s Authentic Food Store 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 2 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 Sandwell, 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: Sandwell
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Sam’s Authentic Food Store is one of 468 rated food businesses in Smethwick. See every hygiene rating in Smethwick →
Sandwell inspects and rates 2,676 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Sandwell →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.sandwell.gov.uk/foodratings
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 →