House of Spice food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · South Oxfordshire
House of Spice holds a 3: generally satisfactory. The restaurant met the legal standard, but the inspector recorded enough minor issues that it fell short of a good or very good rating.
The rating: 3 - Generally satisfactory
The rating dates from 8 October 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.
Address: 36A Couching Street, Watlington, Oxon, OX49 5QQ
How it compares in South Oxfordshire
In South Oxfordshire, 71% of rated places manage a 5, so House of Spice sits behind roughly 994 nearby businesses. 11% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 808 | 71% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 186 | 16% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 120 | 11% | ← House of Spice | |
| 2 out of 5 | 17 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 5 | <1% | ||
| 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 Generally satisfactory
- 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 House of Spice 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 House of Spice, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Co-operative Retailers - other | 56 yards away | 5 - Very good | 23 April 2025 |
| Calnan Brothers Retailers - other | 79 yards away | 4 - Good | 20 August 2025 |
| Kingfisher Fish & Chips Takeaway/sandwich shop | 92 yards away | 2 - Some improvement necessary | 4 February 2026 |
| So Sustainable Retailers - other | 102 yards away | 5 - Very good | 28 August 2020 |
| Ox Club Ltd Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 108 yards away | 3 - Generally satisfactory | 23 January 2026 |
| The Granary Cafe Retailers - other | 110 yards away | 5 - Very good | 24 October 2023 |
| The Granary Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 114 yards away | 5 - Very good | 9 February 2026 |
| The Watlington Club CIO Retailers - other | 129 yards away | 5 - Very good | 30 April 2025 |
Questions about House of Spice
What is House of Spice's food hygiene rating?
House of Spice has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by South Oxfordshire Council on 8 October 2025.
Is House of Spice safe to eat at?
A 3 means the restaurant met the legal standard, so it is lawful to eat there, but the inspector recorded issues that stopped it scoring higher. It is the middle of the scale.
When was House of Spice last inspected?
House of Spice was last inspected on 8 October 2025, 9 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 House of Spice?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "generally satisfactory", 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 House of Spice 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 House of Spice holds a 3. 120 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
South Oxfordshire Council inspects House of Spice 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 House of Spice and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
House of Spice 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 →