Spud Buoys food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Arun
Spud Buoys 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 May 2026, 2 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: 51 Pier Road, Littlehampton, BN17 5LP
How it compares in Arun
A 1 is rare: only 18 of 1,199 rated places in Arun score this low, about one in 67. By contrast 84% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,005 | 84% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 131 | 11% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 34 | 3% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 10 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 18 | 2% | ← Spud Buoys | |
| 0 out of 5 | 1 | <1% |
A further 144 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 Good
- 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 Spud Buoys the inspector recorded concerns over how food is handled 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 Spud Buoys, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freds Fish And Chips Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 21 yards away | 5 - Very good | 14 January 2026 |
| 47 Mussel Row Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 23 yards away | 5 - Very good | 23 October 2024 |
| Arundel Care Services Caring Premises | 116 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 January 2023 |
| Caterplus @ anchor St Catherines Court Caring Premises | 152 yards away | 5 - Very good | 24 March 2025 |
| Dinky Doo Diner Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 169 yards away | 5 - Very good | 10 December 2025 |
| Arun Yacht Club Pub/bar/nightclub | 205 yards away | 5 - Very good | 28 July 2025 |
| Deepdene Caring Premises | 230 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 August 2025 |
| East Beach Guest House Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 263 yards away | 5 - Very good | 18 August 2021 |
Questions about Spud Buoys
What is Spud Buoys's food hygiene rating?
Spud Buoys has a food hygiene rating of 1 out of 5 (major improvement necessary), given by Arun Council on 7 May 2026.
Is Spud Buoys 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 Spud Buoys last inspected?
Spud Buoys was last inspected on 7 May 2026, 2 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Arun Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Spud Buoys?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "improvement necessary", the cleanliness and condition of the building "good", 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 Spud Buoys compare to other places in Arun?
84% of the 1,199 rated food businesses in Arun hold the top rating of 5, while Spud Buoys holds a 1. 18 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Arun Council inspects Spud Buoys 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 Spud Buoys 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 Arun, 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: Arun
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Spud Buoys is one of 206 rated food businesses in Littlehampton. See every hygiene rating in Littlehampton →
Arun inspects and rates 1,343 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Arun →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.arun.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 →