Shepherds Hut food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · South Oxfordshire
Shepherds Hut holds a 2, which means some improvement is necessary. The inspector found problems at the restaurant that the business is required to fix.
The rating: 2 - Some improvement necessary
The rating dates from 17 June 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.
Only 2% of rated food businesses in South Oxfordshire score 0 to 2 like this, so a low rating here is the exception, not the norm. See all South Oxfordshire ratings →
Address: The Street, Ewelme, Wallingford Oxon, OX10 6HQ
How this rating has changed
Shepherds Hut has gone backwards: it held a 3 before its inspection on 17 June 2026, and now holds a 2. A rating of 2 means the inspector found problems the business is required to fix.
| Inspected | Rating | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 17 June 2026 | 3 2 | Worse |
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 South Oxfordshire
A 2 is rare: only 18 of 1,134 rated places in South Oxfordshire score this low, about one in 63. 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 | 815 | 72% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 181 | 16% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 116 | 10% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 18 | 2% | ← Shepherds Hut | |
| 1 out of 5 | 4 | <1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 126 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 Generally satisfactory
- How well they manage food safety Generally satisfactory
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 Shepherds Hut the inspector recorded concerns over how food is handled. Because the overall rating is only ever as strong as its weakest area, that is what holds the score down.
Questions about Shepherds Hut
What is Shepherds Hut's food hygiene rating?
Shepherds Hut has a food hygiene rating of 2 out of 5 (some improvement necessary), given by South Oxfordshire Council on 17 June 2026.
Is Shepherds Hut safe to eat at?
A 2 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 Shepherds Hut last inspected?
Shepherds Hut was last inspected on 17 June 2026, 2 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 Shepherds Hut?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "improvement necessary", the cleanliness and condition of the building "generally satisfactory", and confidence in the management of food safety "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Shepherds Hut compare to other places in South Oxfordshire?
72% of the 1,134 rated food businesses in South Oxfordshire hold the top rating of 5, while Shepherds Hut holds a 2. 18 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
South Oxfordshire Council inspects Shepherds Hut 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 Shepherds Hut 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 2 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
Shepherds Hut is one of 95 rated food businesses in Wallingford Oxon. See every hygiene rating in Wallingford Oxon →
South Oxfordshire inspects and rates 1,260 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 →