Zahra Spice food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Sandwell
Zahra Spice 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 26 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: 91 Owen Street, DY4 8ET
How it compares in Sandwell
A 1 is rare: only 56 of 2,350 rated places in Sandwell score this low, about one in 42. 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 | 513 | 22% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 168 | 7% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 41 | 2% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 56 | 2% | ← Zahra Spice | |
| 0 out of 5 | 11 | <1% |
A further 326 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 Zahra Spice 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 Zahra Spice, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Country Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 5 February 2025 |
| Bottle & Glass Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 14 November 2018 |
| 4CT Joseph Turner Out of School Caring Premises | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 26 March 2026 |
| Aladdin's Takeaway/sandwich shop | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 12 March 2026 |
| Bloomfield Convenience Store & Off Licence Retailers - other | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 4 March 2022 |
| Alisha Supermarket Retailers - other | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 16 June 2026 |
| Babylon Shop Retailers - other | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 13 March 2024 |
| Bridge St Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 23 November 2022 |
Questions about Zahra Spice
What is Zahra Spice's food hygiene rating?
Zahra Spice has a food hygiene rating of 1 out of 5 (major improvement necessary), given by Sandwell Council on 26 February 2026.
Is Zahra Spice 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 Zahra Spice last inspected?
Zahra Spice was last inspected on 26 February 2026, 4 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 Zahra Spice?
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 Zahra Spice compare to other places in Sandwell?
66% of the 2,350 rated food businesses in Sandwell hold the top rating of 5, while Zahra Spice holds a 1. 56 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Sandwell Council inspects Zahra Spice 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 Zahra Spice 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
Zahra Spice is one of 242 rated food businesses in Tipton. See every hygiene rating in Tipton →
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 →