Sambuca Off Licence food hygiene rating
Retailers - other · Reading
Sambuca Off Licence 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 6 January 2025, 18 months ago. That is getting on for the longest gap councils usually leave, so the score may not reflect how the business is run today.
Address: 87 Wokingham Road, Reading, RG6 1LH
How it compares in Reading
In Reading, 65% of rated places manage a 5, so Sambuca Off Licence sits behind roughly 881 nearby businesses. 18% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 881 | 65% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 248 | 18% | ← Sambuca Off Licence | |
| 3 out of 5 | 148 | 11% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 39 | 3% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 41 | 3% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 5 | <1% |
A further 155 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Very good
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Good
- 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 Sambuca Off Licence 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 Sambuca Off Licence, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7th Heaven Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 37 yards away | 5 - Very good | 14 February 2025 |
| Big Bazaar Retailers - other | 49 yards away | 5 - Very good | 1 September 2025 |
| Aubree's Mobile caterer | 160 yards away | 5 - Very good | 19 January 2025 |
| Boltons Rest Home Caring Premises | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 28 January 2026 |
| Abbeymore Day Nursery Caring Premises | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 30 April 2025 |
| Better Cafe, Palmer Park Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 8 December 2024 |
| Boba Bloom Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 13 June 2024 |
| BP Weldale Connect Retailers - other | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 26 October 2024 |
Questions about Sambuca Off Licence
What is Sambuca Off Licence's food hygiene rating?
Sambuca Off Licence has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Reading Council on 6 January 2025.
Is Sambuca Off Licence 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 Sambuca Off Licence last inspected?
Sambuca Off Licence was last inspected on 6 January 2025, 18 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Reading Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Sambuca Off Licence?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "very good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "good", and confidence in the management of food safety "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Sambuca Off Licence compare to other places in Reading?
65% of the 1,362 rated food businesses in Reading hold the top rating of 5, while Sambuca Off Licence holds a 4. 248 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Reading Council inspects Sambuca Off Licence 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 Sambuca Off Licence and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Reading inspects and rates 1,517 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Reading →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.reading.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 →