Grocery Lane food hygiene rating
Retailers - other · Tower Hamlets
Grocery Lane holds a 0, the lowest food hygiene rating possible, meaning urgent improvement is necessary. The inspector found serious problems at the shop requiring immediate action.
The rating: 0 - Urgent improvement necessary
The rating dates from 17 November 2025, 9 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.
Only 5% of rated food businesses in Tower Hamlets score 0 to 2 like this, so a low rating here is the exception, not the norm. See all Tower Hamlets ratings →
Address: 105 Hanbury Street, London, E1 5JQ
How this rating has changed
Grocery Lane was re-inspected on 17 November 2025 and held its rating of 0.
| Inspected | Rating | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 17 November 2025 | AwaitingInspection 0 | Held |
The FSA publishes only a business's current rating. This history is our own record of what it has scored since we began watching.
How it compares in Tower Hamlets
A 0 is rare: only 6 of 2,872 rated places in Tower Hamlets score this low, about one in 479. By contrast 72% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 2,070 | 72% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 464 | 16% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 178 | 6% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 91 | 3% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 63 | 2% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 6 | <1% | ← Grocery Lane |
A further 305 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 Major 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 Grocery Lane 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 Grocery Lane, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aba-Ra Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 203 yards away | 5 - Very good | 14 January 2026 |
| 24 Karak Takeaway/sandwich shop | 236 yards away | 5 - Very good | 20 December 2025 |
| 93 Feet East Pub/bar/nightclub | 248 yards away | 5 - Very good | 31 May 2026 |
| A R S Cash & Carry Retailers - other | 418 yards away | 5 - Very good | 8 August 2023 |
| 68 & Shanghai Pub/bar/nightclub | 433 yards away | 5 - Very good | 27 May 2026 |
| 2nigerianboys Mobile caterer | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 25 October 2025 |
| A&O Shearman LLP Other catering premises | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 8 October 2025 |
| Acai Berry Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 25 January 2025 |
Questions about Grocery Lane
What is Grocery Lane's food hygiene rating?
Grocery Lane has a food hygiene rating of 0 out of 5 (urgent improvement necessary), given by Tower Hamlets Council on 17 November 2025.
Is Grocery Lane safe to eat at?
A 0 means urgent improvement is necessary: the inspector found serious problems. The shop may still be trading, because a rating is not a closure order, but this is the lowest score the scheme gives.
When was Grocery Lane last inspected?
Grocery Lane was last inspected on 17 November 2025, 9 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Tower Hamlets Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Grocery Lane?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "improvement necessary", the cleanliness and condition of the building "major 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 Grocery Lane compare to other places in Tower Hamlets?
72% of the 2,872 rated food businesses in Tower Hamlets hold the top rating of 5, while Grocery Lane holds a 0. 6 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Tower Hamlets Council inspects Grocery Lane 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 Grocery Lane 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 0 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 Tower Hamlets, 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: Tower Hamlets
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Tower Hamlets inspects and rates 3,177 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Tower Hamlets →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.towerhamlets.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 →