Charles Dowding Ltd food hygiene rating
School/college/university · Somerset
Charles Dowding Ltd holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the school kitchen are good. It is a solid result, the inspector found nothing serious, though a 5 was just out of reach.
The rating: 4 - Good
This is a fresh result: Charles Dowding Ltd was inspected on 16 July 2026, so the rating reflects what the inspector found very recently.
98% of rated food businesses in Somerset score 4 or 5, so this is a normal, good result for the area. See all Somerset ratings →
Address: Homeacres, Alhampton, Shepton Mallet, BA4 6PZ
How this rating has changed
Charles Dowding Ltd was re-inspected on 16 July 2026 and held its rating of 4.
| Inspected | Rating | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 16 July 2026 | 4 4 | Held |
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 Somerset
In Somerset, 88% of rated places manage a 5, so Charles Dowding Ltd sits behind roughly 4,819 nearby businesses. 10% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 4,819 | 88% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 541 | 10% | ← Charles Dowding Ltd | |
| 3 out of 5 | 88 | 2% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 23 | <1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 34 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 594 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 Good
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 Charles Dowding Ltd 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.
Questions about Charles Dowding Ltd
What is Charles Dowding Ltd's food hygiene rating?
Charles Dowding Ltd has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Somerset Council on 16 July 2026.
Is Charles Dowding Ltd safe to eat at?
The rating covers hygiene standards found at inspection, not the food itself. At 4 out of 5, the inspector found hygiene standards at this school kitchen to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was Charles Dowding Ltd last inspected?
Charles Dowding Ltd was last inspected on 16 July 2026, a month ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Somerset Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Charles Dowding Ltd?
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 "good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Charles Dowding Ltd compare to other places in Somerset?
88% of the 5,505 rated food businesses in Somerset hold the top rating of 5, while Charles Dowding Ltd holds a 4. 541 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Somerset Council inspects Charles Dowding Ltd 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 Charles Dowding Ltd 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 →
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Charles Dowding Ltd is one of 148 rated food businesses in Shepton Mallet. See every hygiene rating in Shepton Mallet →
Somerset inspects and rates 6,099 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Somerset →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.somerset.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 →