Bearwood Happy Caf food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Sandwell
Bearwood Happy Caf holds a 1: major improvement is necessary. The inspector found significant problems at the restaurant and the business is legally required to address them.
The rating: 1 - Major improvement necessary
The rating dates from 7 April 2025, 15 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: 615 Bearwood Road, B66 4BL
How it compares in Sandwell
A 1 is rare: only 55 of 2,351 rated places in Sandwell score this low, about one in 43. By contrast 66% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,561 | 66% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 514 | 22% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 169 | 7% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 41 | 2% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 55 | 2% | ← Bearwood Happy Caf | |
| 0 out of 5 | 11 | <1% |
A further 325 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 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 Bearwood Happy Caf the inspector recorded concerns over 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 Bearwood Happy Caf, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Admiral Retailers - other | 85 yards away | 5 - Very good | 11 January 2025 |
| Aldi Stores Limited Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 196 yards away | 5 - Very good | 10 January 2023 |
| "Playhouse Nursery" Private Day Nursery Caring Premises | 217 yards away | 5 - Very good | 20 January 2026 |
| 1000 Trades Catering Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 249 yards away | 5 - Very good | 24 January 2025 |
| Argos Ltd Retailers - other | 315 yards away | 5 - Very good | 31 March 2025 |
| A La Mexicana Authentic Mexican Food Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 406 yards away | 5 - Very good | 2 August 2025 |
| Avery Fields Events Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 424 yards away | 5 - Very good | 18 September 2024 |
| ABC Day Nursery Caring Premises | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 15 June 2026 |
Questions about Bearwood Happy Caf
What is Bearwood Happy Caf's food hygiene rating?
Bearwood Happy Caf has a food hygiene rating of 1 out of 5 (major improvement necessary), given by Sandwell Council on 7 April 2025.
Is Bearwood Happy Caf safe to eat at?
A 1 means the inspector found problems the business is required to fix. The restaurant 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 Bearwood Happy Caf last inspected?
Bearwood Happy Caf was last inspected on 7 April 2025, 15 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Sandwell Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Bearwood Happy Caf?
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 "major improvement necessary". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Bearwood Happy Caf compare to other places in Sandwell?
66% of the 2,351 rated food businesses in Sandwell hold the top rating of 5, while Bearwood Happy Caf holds a 1. 55 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Sandwell Council inspects Bearwood Happy Caf 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 Bearwood Happy Caf 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 Sandwell, 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: Sandwell
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Bearwood Happy Caf is one of 468 rated food businesses in Smethwick. See every hygiene rating in Smethwick →
Sandwell inspects and rates 2,676 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Sandwell →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.sandwell.gov.uk/foodratings
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 →