Spar Gainsborough food hygiene rating
Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets · Ipswich
Spar Gainsborough holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the supermarket 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 November 2025, 7 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: 217-219 Clapgate Lane, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP3 0RF
How it compares in Ipswich
In Ipswich, 95% of rated places manage a 5, so Spar Gainsborough sits behind roughly 989 nearby businesses. 4% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 989 | 95% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 41 | 4% | ← Spar Gainsborough | |
| 3 out of 5 | 8 | 1% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 3 | <1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 3 | <1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 76 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Very good
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Very 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 Spar Gainsborough 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 Spar Gainsborough, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Hallows Lunch Club Caring Premises | 133 yards away | 5 - Very good | 16 February 2023 |
| All Hallows Church Top-Up Shop Retailers - other | 164 yards away | 5 - Very good | 26 March 2024 |
| Alderwood Academy School/college/university | 322 yards away | 5 - Very good | 27 February 2025 |
| Aspens Services Ltd School/college/university | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 14 May 2025 |
| BMC Cakery Retailers - other | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 5 August 2025 |
| Bishops Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 23 November 2023 |
| Aldi Stores Ltd Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 17 October 2019 |
| Baytree Pizza Mobile caterer | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 8 May 2024 |
Questions about Spar Gainsborough
What is Spar Gainsborough's food hygiene rating?
Spar Gainsborough has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Ipswich Council on 25 November 2025.
Is Spar Gainsborough 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 supermarket to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was Spar Gainsborough last inspected?
Spar Gainsborough was last inspected on 25 November 2025, 7 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Ipswich Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Spar Gainsborough?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "very good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "very 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 Spar Gainsborough compare to other places in Ipswich?
95% of the 1,044 rated food businesses in Ipswich hold the top rating of 5, while Spar Gainsborough holds a 4. 41 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Ipswich Council inspects Spar Gainsborough 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 Spar Gainsborough and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Ipswich inspects and rates 1,120 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Ipswich →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.ipswich.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 →