Bells Convenient Store food hygiene rating
Retailers - other · West Lindsey
Bells Convenient Store 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 26 June 2025, 12 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: Church Street
How it compares in West Lindsey
A 0 is rare: only 3 of 709 rated places in West Lindsey score this low, about one in 236. 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 | 598 | 84% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 55 | 8% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 34 | 5% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 0 | 0% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 19 | 3% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 3 | <1% | ← Bells Convenient Store |
A further 166 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Major 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 Bells Convenient Store 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.
Questions about Bells Convenient Store
What is Bells Convenient Store's food hygiene rating?
Bells Convenient Store has a food hygiene rating of 0 out of 5 (urgent improvement necessary), given by West Lindsey Council on 26 June 2025.
Is Bells Convenient Store 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 Bells Convenient Store last inspected?
Bells Convenient Store was last inspected on 26 June 2025, 12 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by West Lindsey Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Bells Convenient Store?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "major 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 Bells Convenient Store compare to other places in West Lindsey?
84% of the 709 rated food businesses in West Lindsey hold the top rating of 5, while Bells Convenient Store holds a 0. 3 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
West Lindsey Council inspects Bells Convenient Store 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 Bells Convenient Store 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 West Lindsey, 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: West Lindsey
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Bells Convenient Store is one of 260 rated food businesses in Gainsborough. See every hygiene rating in Gainsborough →
West Lindsey inspects and rates 875 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in West Lindsey →
The official record is held by the council: https://www.west-lindsey.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 →