So Sweet food hygiene rating
Retailers - other · North Devon
So Sweet holds a 1: major improvement is necessary. The inspector found significant problems at the shop and the business is legally required to address them.
The rating: 1 - Major improvement necessary
The rating dates from 9 July 2025, 12 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: 45 High Street, Barnstaple, Devon, EX31 1BZ
How it compares in North Devon
A 1 is rare: only 21 of 1,317 rated places in North Devon score this low, about one in 63. By contrast 84% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,107 | 84% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 129 | 10% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 42 | 3% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 15 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 21 | 2% | ← So Sweet | |
| 0 out of 5 | 3 | <1% |
A further 150 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Improvement necessary
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Good
- 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 So Sweet the inspector recorded concerns over how food is handled and 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 So Sweet, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barnstaple Coffee Shop Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 4 yards away | 5 - Very good | 11 November 2025 |
| Green Lanes Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 37 yards away | 5 - Very good | 3 July 2024 |
| Iceland Foods Plc Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 64 yards away | 5 - Very good | 29 February 2008 |
| Greggs Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 64 yards away | 5 - Very good | 2 June 2026 |
| Dingles Coffee Bar Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 72 yards away | 5 - Very good | 18 April 2024 |
| Aleafia Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 96 yards away | 5 - Very good | 9 October 2024 |
| Barnstaple Bakery Retailers - other | 104 yards away | 5 - Very good | 11 November 2025 |
| Boots The Chemists Ltd Retailers - other | 104 yards away | 5 - Very good | 16 February 2008 |
Questions about So Sweet
What is So Sweet's food hygiene rating?
So Sweet has a food hygiene rating of 1 out of 5 (major improvement necessary), given by North Devon Council on 9 July 2025.
Is So Sweet safe to eat at?
A 1 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 So Sweet last inspected?
So Sweet was last inspected on 9 July 2025, 12 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by North Devon Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at So Sweet?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "improvement necessary", the cleanliness and condition of the building "good", 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 So Sweet compare to other places in North Devon?
84% of the 1,317 rated food businesses in North Devon hold the top rating of 5, while So Sweet holds a 1. 21 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
North Devon Council inspects So Sweet 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 So Sweet 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 North Devon, 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: North Devon
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
So Sweet is one of 413 rated food businesses in Barnstaple. See every hygiene rating in Barnstaple →
North Devon inspects and rates 1,467 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in North Devon →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.northdevon.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 →