Le Spice Merchant food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · North Northamptonshire
Le Spice Merchant 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 16 February 2026, 4 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: 28 Swinburne Road, Wellingborough, NN8 3RW
How it compares in North Northamptonshire
A 1 is rare: only 28 of 2,804 rated places in North Northamptonshire score this low, about one in 100. By contrast 85% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 2,391 | 85% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 283 | 10% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 75 | 3% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 26 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 28 | 1% | ← Le Spice Merchant | |
| 0 out of 5 | 1 | <1% |
A further 289 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 Le Spice Merchant 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 Le Spice Merchant, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bannatynes Health Club Other catering premises | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 22 March 2024 |
| Co-Op Welcome Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 27 January 2015 |
| Brickhill Stores Retailers - other | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 22 February 2016 |
| Anchor Trust Caring Premises | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 29 January 2026 |
| Caterlink @ Weavers Academy School/college/university | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 12 November 2024 |
| Dukes Court Care Home Caring Premises | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 1 August 2025 |
| Bitz & Bites Catering - Langdale Court Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 11 May 2022 |
| Caring Kindergartens Caring Premises | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 13 March 2025 |
Questions about Le Spice Merchant
What is Le Spice Merchant's food hygiene rating?
Le Spice Merchant has a food hygiene rating of 1 out of 5 (major improvement necessary), given by North Northamptonshire Council on 16 February 2026.
Is Le Spice Merchant 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 Le Spice Merchant last inspected?
Le Spice Merchant was last inspected on 16 February 2026, 4 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by North Northamptonshire Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Le Spice Merchant?
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 Le Spice Merchant compare to other places in North Northamptonshire?
85% of the 2,804 rated food businesses in North Northamptonshire hold the top rating of 5, while Le Spice Merchant holds a 1. 28 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
North Northamptonshire Council inspects Le Spice Merchant 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 Le Spice Merchant 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 North Northamptonshire, 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: North Northamptonshire
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Le Spice Merchant is one of 620 rated food businesses in Wellingborough. See every hygiene rating in Wellingborough →
North Northamptonshire inspects and rates 3,093 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in North Northamptonshire →
The official record is held by the council: https://www.northnorthants.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 →