Howard Store food hygiene rating
Retailers - other · Bedford
Howard 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 29 August 2024, 22 months ago. That is getting on for the longest gap councils usually leave, so the score may not reflect how the business is run today.
Address: 24 Howard Avenue, Bedford, MK40 4EB
How it compares in Bedford
A 2 is rare: only 12 of 1,460 rated places in Bedford score this low, about one in 122. By contrast 83% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,208 | 83% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 164 | 11% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 72 | 5% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 12 | 1% | ← Howard Store | |
| 1 out of 5 | 4 | <1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 190 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 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 Howard 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 Howard Store, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cafe Connect Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 190 yards away | 5 - Very good | 28 February 2024 |
| Casa Cesare Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 20 September 2023 |
| Bromham Road News Retailers - other | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 14 March 2026 |
| Best Pizza Takeaway/sandwich shop | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 24 February 2025 |
| Best Kebab Takeaway/sandwich shop | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 24 April 2025 |
| Annandale Nursing Home Caring Premises | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 9 May 2025 |
| Al Fairoz Takeaway/sandwich shop | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 14 October 2025 |
| Bedford Food Center Retailers - other | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 25 March 2025 |
Questions about Howard Store
What is Howard Store's food hygiene rating?
Howard Store has a food hygiene rating of 2 out of 5 (some improvement necessary), given by Bedford Council on 29 August 2024.
Is Howard 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 Howard Store last inspected?
Howard Store was last inspected on 29 August 2024, 22 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Bedford Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Howard Store?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "generally satisfactory", 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 Howard Store compare to other places in Bedford?
83% of the 1,460 rated food businesses in Bedford hold the top rating of 5, while Howard Store holds a 2. 12 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Bedford Council inspects Howard 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 Howard 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 Bedford, 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: Bedford
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Bedford inspects and rates 1,650 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Bedford →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.bedford.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 →