Hilltop Stores food hygiene rating
Retailers - other · East Hampshire
Hilltop Stores holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the shop are good. It is a solid result, the inspector found nothing serious, though a 5 was just out of reach.
The rating: 4 - Good
The rating dates from 25 April 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.
96% of rated food businesses in East Hampshire score 4 or 5, so this is a normal, good result for the area. See all East Hampshire ratings →
Address: 17 Lipscombe Rise, Alton, GU34 2HR
How it compares in East Hampshire
In East Hampshire, 84% of rated places manage a 5, so Hilltop Stores sits behind roughly 824 nearby businesses. 12% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 824 | 84% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 117 | 12% | ← Hilltop Stores | |
| 3 out of 5 | 25 | 3% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 3 | <1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 8 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 117 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 Hilltop Stores 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 Hilltop Stores, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tesco Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 18 November 2024 |
| The Railway Arms Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 6 April 2022 |
| Vokes Lunch Club Other catering premises | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 6 September 2022 |
| Manny’s Coffee Barn Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 9 October 2025 |
| Alton Football Club Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 7 March 2025 |
| Pizza Time Takeaway/sandwich shop | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 6 January 2026 |
| Kingfisher Takeaway/sandwich shop | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 13 November 2024 |
| Campbells Fish and Chips Takeaway/sandwich shop | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 17 March 2026 |
Questions about Hilltop Stores
What is Hilltop Stores's food hygiene rating?
Hilltop Stores has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by East Hampshire Council on 25 April 2025.
Is Hilltop Stores 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 shop to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was Hilltop Stores last inspected?
Hilltop Stores was last inspected on 25 April 2025, 16 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by East Hampshire Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Hilltop Stores?
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 Hilltop Stores compare to other places in East Hampshire?
84% of the 977 rated food businesses in East Hampshire hold the top rating of 5, while Hilltop Stores holds a 4. 117 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
East Hampshire Council inspects Hilltop Stores 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 Hilltop Stores 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
Hilltop Stores is one of 249 rated food businesses in Alton. See every hygiene rating in Alton →
East Hampshire inspects and rates 1,094 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in East Hampshire →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.easthants.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 →