The Spar Shop food hygiene rating
Retailers - other · Torbay
The Spar Shop 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 24 October 2025, 8 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: 79 Kings Ash Road Paignton Devon, TQ3 3TY
How it compares in Torbay
In Torbay, 80% of rated places manage a 5, so The Spar Shop sits behind roughly 933 nearby businesses. 12% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 933 | 80% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 144 | 12% | ← The Spar Shop | |
| 3 out of 5 | 39 | 3% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 11 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 31 | 3% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 2 | <1% |
A further 361 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 Good
- 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 The Spar Shop 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 The Spar Shop, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cambian Devon School School/college/university | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 15 July 2025 |
| Carters Retailers - other | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 8 November 2024 |
| Asda Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 27 September 2024 |
| Busy Bees Coffee Hut Mobile caterer | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 26 April 2026 |
| Bargain Booze Retailers - other | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 19 June 2017 |
| Istanbul Restaurant Retailers - other | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 8 April 2024 |
| CentrePeace Other catering premises | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 15 January 2026 |
| Jam and Bread Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 8 May 2026 |
Questions about The Spar Shop
What is The Spar Shop's food hygiene rating?
The Spar Shop has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Torbay Council on 24 October 2025.
Is The Spar Shop 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 The Spar Shop last inspected?
The Spar Shop was last inspected on 24 October 2025, 8 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Torbay Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Spar Shop?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "good", and confidence in the management of food safety "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Spar Shop compare to other places in Torbay?
80% of the 1,160 rated food businesses in Torbay hold the top rating of 5, while The Spar Shop holds a 4. 144 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Torbay Council inspects The Spar Shop 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 The Spar Shop and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Torbay inspects and rates 1,521 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Torbay →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.torbay.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 →