Sir Charles Napier food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · South Oxfordshire
Sir Charles Napier 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 25 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: Sprigs Holly Lane Sprigs Alley, Chinnor, Oxon, OX39 4BX
How it compares in South Oxfordshire
A 1 is rare: only 5 of 1,136 rated places in South Oxfordshire score this low, about one in 227. By contrast 71% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 808 | 71% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 186 | 16% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 120 | 11% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 17 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 5 | <1% | ← Sir Charles Napier | |
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 116 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 Sir Charles Napier 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.
Questions about Sir Charles Napier
What is Sir Charles Napier's food hygiene rating?
Sir Charles Napier has a food hygiene rating of 1 out of 5 (major improvement necessary), given by South Oxfordshire Council on 25 February 2026.
Is Sir Charles Napier 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 Sir Charles Napier last inspected?
Sir Charles Napier was last inspected on 25 February 2026, 4 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by South Oxfordshire Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Sir Charles Napier?
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 Sir Charles Napier compare to other places in South Oxfordshire?
71% of the 1,136 rated food businesses in South Oxfordshire hold the top rating of 5, while Sir Charles Napier holds a 1. 5 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
South Oxfordshire Council inspects Sir Charles Napier 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 Sir Charles Napier and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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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 South Oxfordshire, 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: South Oxfordshire
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Sir Charles Napier is one of 430 rated food businesses in Oxon. See every hygiene rating in Oxon →
South Oxfordshire inspects and rates 1,252 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in South Oxfordshire →
The official record is held by the council: https://www.southoxon.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 →