5

Waitrose food hygiene rating

Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets · Eastbourne

Waitrose holds a 5, the highest food hygiene rating there is. At its last inspection the supermarket met every standard the inspector checked, with nothing needing attention.

The rating: 5 - Very good

The rating dates from 1 August 2024, 23 months ago. That is getting on for the longest gap councils usually leave, so the score may not reflect how the business is run today.

Address: 4 High Street, Eastbourne, BN21 1HR

How it compares in Eastbourne

That puts Waitrose among the 796 places in Eastbourne holding top marks, 85% of everywhere the council rates. A 5 is the norm here rather than the exception, so it is the rating to expect, not to be impressed by.

Every rated food business in Eastbourne
5 out of 5 796 85% ← Waitrose
4 out of 5 109 12%
3 out of 5 21 2%
2 out of 5 3 <1%
1 out of 5 12 1%
0 out of 5 1 <1%

A further 97 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.

What the inspector found

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 Waitrose 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 Waitrose, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
Beeches Retirement Hotel Caring Premises 0.3 miles away 5 - Very good 11 February 2026
Ashgrange House Care Home Caring Premises 0.3 miles away 5 - Very good 27 August 2025
Arundel Care Services Caring Premises 0.4 miles away 5 - Very good 7 July 2026
Apex Convenience Store Retailers - other 0.5 miles away 5 - Very good 21 August 2025
Bendigo Nursing Home Caring Premises 0.5 miles away 5 - Very good 13 March 2025
Beanzz Coffee & Kitchen Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 0.6 miles away 5 - Very good 15 November 2024
Amore caffe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 0.6 miles away 5 - Very good 25 July 2025
Cedarz Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 0.6 miles away 5 - Very good 21 March 2025

Questions about Waitrose

What is Waitrose's food hygiene rating?

Waitrose has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Eastbourne Council on 1 August 2024.

Is Waitrose safe to eat at?

The rating covers hygiene standards found at inspection, not the food itself. At 5 out of 5, the inspector found hygiene standards at this supermarket to be very good, the top end of the scale.

When was Waitrose last inspected?

Waitrose was last inspected on 1 August 2024, 23 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Eastbourne Council rather than by the business.

What did the inspector find at Waitrose?

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 "very good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.

How does Waitrose compare to other places in Eastbourne?

85% of the 942 rated food businesses in Eastbourne hold the top rating of 5, and Waitrose is one of them.

Who decides the rating?

Eastbourne Council inspects Waitrose 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 Waitrose 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 →

Understanding this rating

More food hygiene ratings near here

Eastbourne inspects and rates 1,039 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Eastbourne

The official record is held by the council: https://www.lewes-eastbourne.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 →