The Cottage Bakery food hygiene rating
Retailers - other · South Oxfordshire
The Cottage Bakery holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the shop are good. It is a solid result, the inspector found nothing serious, though a 5 was just out of reach.
The rating: 4 - Good
The rating dates from 26 March 2026, 3 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: 28 Upper High Street, Thame, Oxon, OX9 3EX
How it compares in South Oxfordshire
In South Oxfordshire, 71% of rated places manage a 5, so The Cottage Bakery sits behind roughly 808 nearby businesses. 16% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 808 | 71% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 186 | 16% | ← The Cottage Bakery | |
| 3 out of 5 | 120 | 11% | ||
| 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 Good
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Generally satisfactory
- How well they manage food safety Good
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 The Cottage Bakery 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 The Cottage Bakery, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kali Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 29 yards away | 5 - Very good | 31 October 2024 |
| The Monkey Puzzle Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 92 yards away | 5 - Very good | 8 April 2025 |
| Thame Snooker Club Other catering premises | 104 yards away | 5 - Very good | 29 October 2024 |
| Thame Recipe Takeaway/sandwich shop | 172 yards away | 5 - Very good | 6 November 2024 |
| The Chippy Takeaway/sandwich shop | 178 yards away | 5 - Very good | 24 March 2025 |
| Players Theatre Other catering premises | 205 yards away | 5 - Very good | 26 February 2025 |
| Thame Fried Chicken Takeaway/sandwich shop | 221 yards away | 5 - Very good | 15 June 2026 |
| Rumsey's Handmade Chocolates Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 225 yards away | 5 - Very good | 24 January 2025 |
Questions about The Cottage Bakery
What is The Cottage Bakery's food hygiene rating?
The Cottage Bakery has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by South Oxfordshire Council on 26 March 2026.
Is The Cottage Bakery safe to eat at?
The rating covers hygiene standards found at inspection, not the food itself. At 4 out of 5, the inspector found hygiene standards at this shop to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was The Cottage Bakery last inspected?
The Cottage Bakery was last inspected on 26 March 2026, 3 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 The Cottage Bakery?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "generally satisfactory", and confidence in the management of food safety "good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Cottage Bakery 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 The Cottage Bakery holds a 4. 186 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
South Oxfordshire Council inspects The Cottage Bakery 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 The Cottage Bakery 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
The Cottage Bakery 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 →