Simply Local food hygiene rating
Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets · Isle of Wight
Simply Local holds a 1: major improvement is necessary. The inspector found significant problems at the supermarket and the business is legally required to address them.
The rating: 1 - Major improvement necessary
The rating dates from 26 June 2026, 2 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.
Only 3% of rated food businesses in Isle of Wight score 0 to 2 like this, so a low rating here is the exception, not the norm. See all Isle of Wight ratings →
Address: 33 - 34 High Street, Cowes, Isle of Wight, PO31 7RS
How this rating has changed
Simply Local has gone backwards: it held a 4 before its inspection on 26 June 2026, and now holds a 1. A rating of 1 means the inspector found problems the business is required to fix.
| Inspected | Rating | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 26 June 2026 | 4 1 | Worse |
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 Isle of Wight
A 1 is rare: only 9 of 1,493 rated places in Isle of Wight score this low, about one in 166. By contrast 70% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,038 | 70% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 275 | 18% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 140 | 9% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 30 | 2% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 9 | 1% | ← Simply Local | |
| 0 out of 5 | 1 | <1% |
A further 211 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 Improvement necessary
- 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 Simply Local the inspector recorded concerns over how food is handled, the condition of the premises 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 Simply Local, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dack's Newsagents Retailers - other | 48 yards away | 5 - Very good | 9 October 2025 |
| Little French Franks Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 48 yards away | 5 - Very good | 2 June 2026 |
| Salt Cowes Retailers - other | 57 yards away | 5 - Very good | 30 May 2024 |
| Pier View Pub/bar/nightclub | 64 yards away | 5 - Very good | 5 June 2026 |
| Healthy Indulgence Retailers - other | 64 yards away | 5 - Very good | 12 March 2024 |
| Cowes Town Central Retailers - other | 64 yards away | 5 - Very good | 9 October 2025 |
| Pinnacle Suites Ltd Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 64 yards away | 5 - Very good | 25 September 2025 |
| Marks And Spencer Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 76 yards away | 5 - Very good | 15 July 2026 |
Questions about Simply Local
What is Simply Local's food hygiene rating?
Simply Local has a food hygiene rating of 1 out of 5 (major improvement necessary), given by Isle of Wight Council on 26 June 2026.
Is Simply Local safe to eat at?
A 1 means the inspector found problems the business is required to fix. The supermarket 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 Simply Local last inspected?
Simply Local was last inspected on 26 June 2026, 2 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Isle of Wight Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Simply Local?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "improvement necessary", the cleanliness and condition of the building "improvement necessary", 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 Simply Local compare to other places in Isle of Wight?
70% of the 1,493 rated food businesses in Isle of Wight hold the top rating of 5, while Simply Local holds a 1. 9 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Isle of Wight Council inspects Simply Local 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 Simply Local 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 Isle of Wight, 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: Isle of Wight
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Simply Local is one of 140 rated food businesses in Cowes. See every hygiene rating in Cowes →
Isle of Wight inspects and rates 1,704 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Isle of Wight →
The official record is held by the council: https://www.iow.gov.uk/environment-and-planning/community-protection-services/
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 →